
Book ^ * L3 



CopyrightN"_ 



&^G> 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




"LoKD, I'each Us to Pray.** 



See page 13. 



THE SACRAMENTALS 



OF 



THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH. 



Rev. a. Ar^ lambing, LL.D., 

Author of "^ History of the Cdtholic Church in the Dioceses of Pitts* 
burg and Alleghany ^'* ""^ The Sunday-School Teacher s Manual^* 
^* Masses for the Dead^^^ ^^ Mixed Marriages ^'' etc.^ etc% 




NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO: 

BENZIQER BROTHERS, 

Printers to the Holy Afostolic See* 
1896. 



D. J, McMahon", D.D., 

Censor Librorum, 



Intprimattir. 

•i- Michael Augustike, 

Archbishop of New York. 
He,W YoB^, Sept^ii^bjer 1^, 189^.: . . :^ 



1 » r fc wee 



„ ff ffl ■J r « « « 



Copyright, 1892, by Benziger Brothers. 



TO THE 

Eight Key. EIOHAKD PHELAN, D.D., 
Bishop of Pittsburg. 

- Bight Bev. Dear Bishop : 

In pausing to review tlie period of more tlian thirty- 
tliree years during wliich time I have enjoyed tlie benefit 
of your direction as your penitent ; the light of your 
example as your brother priest ; and the advantage and 
encouragement of your paternal rule as a priest of your 
diocese, I beg the privilege, on this day, on which I com- 
plete my fiftieth year, of offering you this little volume 
as a memorial of the friendship which has so long 
existed between us, but of which it is a very inadequate 
expression. 

I am, my dear Bishop, 

Your devoted son in Christ, 

A. A. LAMBira 



Feast of St. Ignatius, Bishop and Martyr^ 
February 1, 189:^. 



PKEFACE. 



Nearly all the essays contained in this volume origi* 
nally appeared in the Ave Maria or in the American 
Ecclesiastical Review^ but they are here brought 
together, after a careful revision and rewriting, with a 
view of placing before Catholics a book that will give in 
a small compass a sufficiently full explanation of the 
principal devotions and sacred objects which they are 
accustomed to see or make use of in the practice of their' 
religion. Unfortunately there is not in our language a 
work of this kind; and hence it is hoped this one will be^ 
acceptable to both the clergy and people. Father Barry 
published a small work on the Sacramentals about thirty- 
five years ago ; but besides being long out of print and 
rare, it does not treat of many sacramentals a knowl- 
edge of which would be useful to Catholics, while it does 
treat of certain others not very useful, such as the 
Golden Eose and the Archbishop's Pallium. In a few 
other books of devotion or instruction short treatises are 
given on some of the sacramentals, but they are neces- 
sarily so brief as not to satisfy an inquiring mind, and 
the authorities from which the information is taken are 
not, as a rule, given. 

The better we understand our religion the more intel- 
ligently and fruitfully we can practise it ; yet it is a fact, 
of which we have no reason to be proud, that Catholics 
generally know far too little about their religion. 

5 



6 Pi^eface, 

Account for it as we may, the fact cannot be denied 
that even educated and well-read Catholics very often 
know far less of the doctrines and practices of the 
Church than they do of almost any other branch of 
knowledge ; and the information they possess is com- 
monly of a general and indefinite character, and not of 
that precise nature which the clearly-defined teaching 
of the Church would enable them to acquire, and which 
is rendered necessary on account of the circumstances 
in which most of them are placed. The consequence is 
that many of them find little attraction in the devotions 
they practise or assist at and perform them rather as a 
task than as an intelligent act of loving worship ; and 
they are neither prepared to explain the many beautiful 
practices of our holy religion to those who seek informa- 
tion nor to defend them against even the threadbare 
objections which* they constantly hear. 

But besides being useful to the Catholic laity this 
work will also be of service to the teachers and the more 
advanced pupils and students of our schools, academies, 
and colleges. It is also believed that it will be equally 
acceptable to the reverend clergy, both for their own 
reading and in the preparation of instructions on the 
subjects treated in its pages. ^ 

The reader will observe that, as a rule, only the 
highest authorities are quoted ; and the references are 
generally given, which will enable those who wish to 
study any of the questions more fully to go directly to 
reliable sources of information. 

So numerous are the doubts addressed to the Roman 
Congregations and their replies, especially with regard 
to sacred rites and indulgences, that it is difficult to 
keep pace with their issue ; but care has been taken to 

I Concilii Baltimorensis II,, Acta et Decreta, N. 350. 



Preface^ 7 

consult the latest works on these subjects, and it is be- 
lieved that few, if any, decrees bearing on the matters 
treated in this work have escaped notice. 

Owing to the fact that these essays were written at 
different times and in the spare moments at command 
in an active ministry, the subjects will be found to be 
treated in different ways, references will be differently 
given, the style will not always be the same, etc. ; but 
this, while detracting nothing from the value of the 
work, may prove of advantage, by giving the reader a 
greater variety of style and arrangement. 

Some difficulty was also experienced in arranging the 
various subjects, so as to bring those together which ap- 
peared to be most closely related ; but the order adopted 
is perhaps as good as any other that could have been 
followed. The essays on the Missal and Kitual are 
rather foundations for others than treating of sacra- 
mentals themselves, but they will afford useful and in- 
teresting information on subjects of importance. The 
closing essay is given for the information it contains on 
a point that must be of interest to every American 
Catholic ; and it may perhaps be opportune in this the 
fourth centenary year of the discovery of our country. 

The reader will meet with certain repetitions, which 
it was difficult or impossible to avoid, especially in such 
essays as those on Holy Water and the Asperges ; the 
Paschal Candle, Blessed Candles, and the Agnus Dei ; 
and a few others. 

It may, however, be a matter of surprise to some 
readers that reference should have been made in a num- 
ber of places to pagan customs somewhat similar to 
certain others found among Christians. This was done 
for two reasons : to state a fact that must have consid- 
erable weight against infidels; and to prove that there 



8 Preface, 

must have been either a direct revelation made by God 
to man in the beginning or else that He implanted feel- 
ings in the heart of man requiring such forms of out- 
ward expression ; as, for example, the offering of sacri- 
fice, which is found in some form among all peoples, but 
which is not stated rn the Sacred Scriptures to have 
been enjoined till long after the Deluge. However 
abominable many of the pagan rites may have been and 
are, those who practised them are as much to be pitied 
as blamed ; for these are but the outward expression of 
that unquenchable longing of every rational creature 
to hold communion with the unseen world — with his 
first beginning and his last end. 

The indulgences granted by the Holy See to the pious 
use of some of the sacramentals are given, thereby en- 
abling the reader to see at a glance what spiritual bene- 
fits he is able to derive from their proper employment. 

In sending this little volume out into the world the 
author does not regret the amount of labor and research 
its preparation entailed, but finds ample compensation 
in the hope that it may be instrumental in some small 
measure in promoting the interests of Holy Mother 
Church, by the diffusion of useful and solid information, 
thus imparting a clearer idea of some of her many 
beautiful devotions and practices. 

WiLKINSBURG, PA., 

Feast op St. Ignatius Martyr, February 1, 1892. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Dedication, 3 

Preface, 5 

I. 
What are Sacramentals? 13 

II. 

The Treasures of tlie Missal, . . , . .17 

III. 
The Treasures of the Ritual, 31 

IV. 
The Treasures of the Breviary, 43 

V. 
The Sign of the Cross, 54 

VI. 

The Stations or Way of the Cross, . . . .71 

VII. 
The Holy Oils, 86 

VIII. 
Holy Water, 105 

IX. 

The Asperges, or Sprinkling of Holy Water before 

Mass, 117 

9 



10 Contents, 

PAGE 

X. 

The Forty Hours' Adoration and the Benediction of 

the Most Blessed Sacrament, 124 

XI. 

The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, . . ,135 

XII. 
The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Brown 

Scapular, 152 

XIII. 
The Angelus, . 165 

XIV. 
The Miraculous Medal, 176 

XV. 

The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, . . 185 

XVI. 
The Litanies, 193 

XVII. 
The Paschal Candle, 205 

XVIII. 
The Agnus Dei, .212 

XIX. 

Blessed Candles, 227 

XX. 

Blessed Ashes, ....,-.. 239 

XXI. 
Blessed Palms, 245 

XXII. 
The Nuptial Mass and Blessing, 253 

XXIII. 

The Churching of Women, 266 



Contents. 11 



PAGE 

XXIV. 



The Blessing and Thanksgiving at Meals, ... . 273 

XXY. 
Sacred Vestments, ....... 279 

XXVI. 
Church Bells, 294 

XXVII. 
The Last Blessing, or Blessing '* in Articulo Mortis," . 300 

XXVIII. 
The Burial Service, 311 

XXIX. 

Mary Conceived without Sin, the Patroness of the 

United States, 320 



THE SACRAMENTALS 

OP 

THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHUECH. 



I.— WHAT AKE SACRAMENTALS ? 

Before treating of the sacramentals it will be neces- 
sary for us to inquire into their precise nature and the 
manner in which they produce their supernatural effects. 
In the beginning of our era and for several centuries the 
word sacrament had a wider and more indefinite signifi- 
<jation than it has at present, being used by many of the 
^arly Christian writers to designate anything holy or 
a mystery ; but in process of time it was restricted, as 
at present, to the seven sacraments, or principal sources 
of grace, instituted by our divine Saviour. The other 
pious objects or prayers came to be called sacramentals. 
This change, however, was gradually made, so that no 
precise time can be fixed for it. 

For this reason it will be of advantage to begin by in- 
quiring into the difference between a sacrament and a 
sacramental. There are two principal points of differ- 
ence. In the first place, the sacraments were instituted 
by Christ, for all time, and their number was fixed, so 
that it can never be increased or diminished ; while the 
sacramentals were instituted, for the most part, by the 
Church, and she can increase or diminish their number 
as circumstances may demand or the spiritual welfare of 

13 



14 What are Sacramentals f 

her children render expedient. In the second place, the 
sacraments have in themselves the power of giving grace 
to those who receive them with the requisite dispositions; 
while the sacramentals only excite such pious disposi- 
tions in those who make use of them as will prepare 
them for the more easy and effectual reception of grace. 
But of this later. 

Theologians are not agreed with regard to the number 
of heads under which the sacramentals should be ar- 
ranged ; but the opinion of Sabetti will be sufficiently 
explicit for our purpose.^ 

jP>'ayer must be placed first among the sacramentals, 
especially the Lord's Prayer and the public prayers of 
the Church. Second are such as refer to the touchy as 
the use of holy water, sacred unctions that are not con- 
nected with the administration of the sacraments, as 
those in the blessing of a church bell, etc. Third, eating^ 
by which is meant the partaking of the holy bread which 
was formerly blessed in the Mass and distributed to 
those who did not communicate, of which mention will 
be found in the essay on the Sign of the Cross ; also 
the eating of fruits blessed by the Church, especially 
new fruits, for which there is a special benediction given 
in the ritual. Fourth, confessing, w^hich includes the 
public confessions sometimes made in the early Church, 
but more particularly the confession made by the priest 
and his ministers at the beginning of the Mass, and at 
times in the recitation of the Divine Office ; and any 
act by which a person acknowledges himself a sinner : 
as striking the breast, receiving the ashes on Ash-Wed- 
nesday, etc. Fifth, ^mn^, as the giving of alms and 
the performing of any spiritual or corporal work of 
mercy, especially such as are enjoined by the ecclesiasti- 
1 »♦ Theologia Moralis," Aloisio Sabetti, S.J., NN. 651, 652. 



What are Satyramentals ? 15 

cal authorities in times of a public calamity or during 
Lent. Sixth, blessing, which is the most comprehensive 
of all the heads, and includes every blessing given by 
proper ecclesiastical authority, whether it be that of the 
Pope, a bishop, or a priest, whether it be found in the 
ritual or not. 

On the effects of the sacramentals and the manner in 
which they are produced the ** Catholic Dictionary" 
(p. 732) has this: '*If the sacramentals are used with 
pious dispositions they excite increased fear and love of 
God and detestation of sin, and so, not in themselves, 
but because of these movements of the heart toward 
God, remit venial sins. They have a special efficacy, 
because the Church has blessed them with prayer, and 
also when, for example, a person takes holy water, 
accompanying the outward act with the desire that God 
may cleanse his heart, the prayer of the whole Christian 
people is joined to his own." The opinion that sacra- 
mentals remit venial sins by a power given them by God 
over and above the good dispositions with which they 
are used is held by some theologians, but rejected by 
others as destitute of a warrant in Scripture or tradi- 
tion. The weight of theological opinion is against it at 
the present time. 

According to the more general opinion, which is held 
by Sabetti, the sacramentals produce two principal 
effects in those who make use of them according to the 
mind of the Church. First, the remission of venial sins, 
not, however, directly and by virtue of their own power, 
as the sacraments do, but indirectly, by the pious move- 
ments of the heart to contrition, which are rendered 
more frequent and easy by the use of the sacramentals. 
Secondly, the sacramentals are powerful means of over- 
coming the temptations of the spirit of evil and putting 



16 What are Sacramentals f 

him to flight, and this not merely by way of impetra* 
tion, but by way of command. This is, as will be seen, 
in the following essays, besought of Almighty God in the 
prayers and exorcisms recited in the blessing of many of 
the sacramentals. The faith of the people in this power 
is illustrated in their use of them, especially in having 
the dying hold a crucifix or blessed candle in their 
hands, in having holy water or blessed objects in their 
sleeping apartments, etc. It is no less seen in the con- 
fidence they have in the use of certain sacramentals. 
when threatened with danger from the elements ; for, 
by the permission of God, the evil spirit has certain 
power over the atmosphere, and is, for that reason, 
called in Scripture the prince of the air. ^ The power to 
still the disturbances of the elements is also called down 
upon not a few of the sacramentals in the form of prayer 
by which they are blessed. With this explanation, 
which, though short, will be sufficient, let us proceed to 
a consideration of some of the principal sacramentals, 
with a view not only of increasing our knowledge of 
them but also of stimulating us to their more frequent 
and pious use. 

1 Ephesians, ii. 2 



The Treasures of the Missal, 17 



II.— THE TREASURES OF THE MISSAL. 

By the transgression of our first parents man came 
into the power of the evil spirit to a lamentable extent, 
and the visible creation was burdened with the maledic- 
tion of its Creator, as God said to Adam : ' ' Cursed is 
the earth in thy work." * For this reason the spirit of 
evil is called in various places of the Scriptures the 
Prince of this world. ^ The earth itself bears evidence of 
the fall ; for we cannot imagine a God of infinite good- 
ness creating such a world as that which we now inhabit. 
So truly is it natural for man to entertain this view that 
even the pagan philosophers and the sages of all times 
and countries have regarded the earth as more or less a 
place of punishment, or at least of trial, for the human 
race. Their ideas may have been variously expressed^ 
but they will invariably be found to have been based on 
the same fundamental belief. Deeply impressed with 
this truth, the children of God have at all times invoked 
the divine blessing upon such creatures as they had oc- 
casion to use, evidences of which are to be met with in 
numberless passages of the sacred writings and in sacred 
biography. 

Apart from the use which man is necessitated to make 
of various creatures for the sustenance and conveniences 
of life, he is also required to use them in the worship of 
God, and this in a threefold manner : as victims to be 
sacrificed ; as vessels, vestments, etc., in the service of 
religion ; and as instruments or channels for the con- 

* Council of Trent, session v. canon i. ; Genesis, iii. 17. 
2 St. John, xii. 31 ; Ephesians, vi. 12. 



18 The Treasures of the Missal 

veying of supernatural assistance to the souls of men, 
as in the sacraments and sacramentals. The infinite 
dignity of Almighty God and the relation man bears to 
Him require that this should be done at all times and 
under all circumstances with becoming decorum; in 
other words, with certain liturgical observances. In 
patriarchal times the liturgy was very simple, and ap- 
pears to have been regulated by the patriarch's own ideas 
of what was becoming, because at that early day he, or 
one appointed by him, was the sacrificing priest of the 
tribe or family of which he was the head. And this cus- 
tom continued among the Gentiles even after the institu- 
tion of the Mosaic Law, as may be learned from the case 
of holy Job, from whom God accepted sacrifices for him- 
self, his family, and his friends. But when the Jews 
were set apart as the chosen people of God a special 
ritual was prepared for them by a revelation from 
heaven, in which the ceremonial law was laid down even 
to the most minute details, and its strict observance en- 
joined under the severest penalties. 

With the abrogation of the Mosaic Law a new liturgy 
was called into existence to suit the changes brought 
about in divine worship by the institution of the sacrifice 
of the Mass and the sacraments. Our divine Redeemer 
unchangeably fixed all that relates to their essence, but 
it was fitting that He should leave to His Church the 
regulation of the minor details of their administration, 
both because it became His dignity to do so and because 
these depend in a measure on the circumstances of time, 
place, and people. The authority necessary for arrang- 
ing these particulars is contained in the power of bind- 
ing and loosing given in its plenitude to the teaching 
body of the Church. To the same authority was en- 
trusted the power of instituting such sacramentals as 



The Treasures of the Missal. 19 

might, from time to time, be found conducive to the 
welfare of the children of God. 

All that relates to the offering of the adorable sacri« 
fice of the Mass is found in the liturgical work known 
as the Roman Missal, or Mass Book, as it is commonly- 
called. This, as well as the other liturgical books of the 
Church, is, of course, in the Latin language ; and not- 
withstanding that prayer-books may readily be had in 
which some parts of the Missal are rendered into the 
vernacular, and even entire translations of the Missal 
are made, still this and the other liturgical books 
are more or less mysterious to the greater number of 
Catholics. And, what is worse, their lack of informa- 
tion too often renders them incapable of appreciating 
the value of sacred rites, and leaves them without the 
desire of increasing their knowledge. A short explana- 
tion of the Missal, and later one of the other liturgical 
books, must for these reasons be at once interesting, 
instructive, and useful. Interesting, because these 
works treat of matters in which all Catholics are con- 
cerned, and would be still more concerned if they knew 
more about them ; instructive, because it will open up 
new and extensive fields of knowledge relating to our 
holy religion; and useful, because it will place within 
the reach of everyone many graces, the existence of 
which was partially or wholly unknown before — graces 
which will strengthen, console, and encourage them in 
the time of temptation, trial, and bereavement, and pre- 
pare them better for their final passage to eternity. 

It is not my intention to treat in this place of the 
treasure we possess in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, 
since it is regarded by all as the clean oblation foretold 
by the prophet Malachy, which was to be offered up 
from the rising to the setting of the sun. It is the pur- 



20 The Treasures of the Missal. 

pose to treat rather of the contents and arrangement of 
the Missal. 

Time was necessarily required to bring the Missal to 
its present state of perfection ; for, though from the 
beginning all the essential parts were in use in the 
Church, the Missal had not reached the form in which 
it now appears until after the lapse of centuries. Nor 
were the several parts at first arranged in the same 
manner as they are at present. A portion was found in 
one book and another portion in another, which differ- 
ent books were known as the Antiphonanj, the Lection- 
ary^ the Book of the Gospels^ and the Sacramentary, 
A vestige of this remains to our day in the Church, as 
may be seen in the more solemn functions when a bishop 
officiates. Besides, certain prelates arranged the Mis- 
sals for their respective dioceses, more or less according 
to their own ideas. The necessity of adopting uniform- 
ity of ritual where there was uniformity of belief became 
more and more apparent as time went on and the faith 
became diffused ; and the better to secure this the ne- 
cessity became also apparent of restricting the power to 
make alterations to the highest authority in the Church. 
But it was not till the sixteenth century that the Missal 
was reduced to its present form, and all further changes 
forbidden under the severest penalties. 

The Council of Trent ' recommended this action, and 
it was taken by Pope St. Pius V. , who thoroughly re- 
vised the Missal, and published it in its corrected form, 
making that the standard to which all subsequent edi- 
tions should strictly conform, and forbidding, at the 
same time, under the severest penalties, the use of any 
other Missal or of any other prayers or ceremonies in the 
Holy Sacrifice except those found in the Missal which he 
3 Session xxv. 



The Treasures of the Missal. 21 

had approved. No person, however exalted his dignity, 
was exempted from the observance of this command ; 
but churches or religious orders having different cus- 
toms dating back at least two hundred years w^ere ex- 
cepted out of respect for the antiquity of their liturgy. 
The bull issued by the Holy Father enjoining the use of 
the revised Missal and prohibiting all others is dated 
July 16, 1570. But the disorder was not fully remedied, 
and Pope Clement YIII., under date of July 7, 1604, 
issued another bull on the same subject, increasing the 
penalties. He was followed, September 2, 1634, by 
Urban VIII. , in a bull of the same tenor. These three 
bulls are placed at the beginning of every Missal, as 
well as certain decrees of the Sacred Congregation of 
Kites bearing on the same subject. 

Thus it was that the Missal came to assume its present 
form. The first step, however, had been taken some- 
what earlier by '^Burchard, master of ceremonies under 
Innocent YIII., who set out at length both the words 
and the ceremonies of the Mass in his Koman pontifical, 
printed at Rome in 1485, and again in his Sacerdotale, 
printed a few years later. . . . After this the ceremonies 
were joined to the Ordinary of the Mass in some printed 
Missals, and were finally arranged under their present 
titles by Pius Y." * 

A matter which those not of the One Fold find it 
difficult to understand, and for which, unfortunately, 
the vast majority of Catholics are not able to give a sat- 
isfactory reason, is the use of the Latin language in the 
liturgy of the Church. While a spirit of submission to 
the Church and of confidence in the wisdom of her de- 
crees follows necessarily from a lively faith, there are 
too many Catholics who rest satisfied with these, for- 

* " Catholic Dictionary," p. 724. 



22 The Treasures of the Missal. 

getting the advice of the Apostle, that they should be 
able to give a reason for the faith that is in them. It 
may be questioned, however, whether it is the result of 
faith, and not rather of indifference, that so many 
Catholics feel a reluctance to study books of instruc- 
tion. Faith is not founded on ignorance, nor is it nour- 
ished by ignorance ; nor does the Church, as some of 
our enemies would fain have us believe, fear the light. 
On the contrary, she invites and desires the careful 
study of both friend and foe. 

Latin is the language of the Church's liturgy for sev- 
eral very good reasons. In the first place, it was the 
language of the Eoman Empire, and was generally un- 
derstood, if not spoken, throughout the civilized w^orld 
at the date of the establishment of the Christian relig- 
ion ; and as St. Peter fixed the centre of the Christian 
commonwealth in the city of the Caesars, it was not 
only natural but also necessary for the Church to adopt 
the Latin tongue as that of her liturgy. Again, the 
Church is one, and oneness of language serves to illus- 
trate and to preserve oneness of faith. Besides, living 
languages are constantly changing ; new terms are 
being introduced, and those in use vary their meanings. 
As instances of this may be cited certain English words 
that have not only changed their signification, but have 
taken a diametrically opposite one ; as, for example, let^ 
prevent^ etc. But it is of the very first importance 
that the well-defined doctrines of religion should be ex- 
pressed in language that always conveys the same ideas. 
The advantage of a medium of communication between 
the members of the Church throughout the world, 
whether assembled in general council, addressing their 
common Father, or corresponding with one another, is 



The Treasures of the Missal. 23 

too apparent to require comment. Other reasons might 
also be adduced, but these are sufficient. 

Examining the parts of which the Missal is composed 
we find that, after the insertion of the Papal bulls 
already referred to, the first place is devoted to the ar- 
rangement of all that relates to the calendar of the 
movable and immovable feasts. It may be said briefly 
that this arrangement of the Masses for saints and sea- 
sons depends on the feasts of Christmas and Easter. 
The former fixes all from the first Sunday of Advent to 
the octave of Epiphany ; and the latter all from Sep- 
tuagesima to Trinity Sunday ; and the two together 
regulate the number of Sundays that must intervene 
between Epiphany and Septuagesima and between 
Trinity Sunday and the first Sunday of Advent, in order 
to give fifty-two in the year. If Easter is late, there 
will be more of the former ; if early, there will be more 
of the latter. The calendar of the feasts of saints is also 
placed here. Next come the rubrics, which are laws or 
rules for the guidance of the priests in the celebration 
of the Adorable Sacrifice. 

It may be well to note that in the Missal, as also in 
the Kitual and in the Breviary, besides the general 
rubrics which are found in the beginning and at the 
opening of the several parts or divisions, there are other 
ones interposed throughout these works for the guid- 
ance of the minister in the performance of his sacred 
functions. If the reader is careful to bear this in mind 
as we proceed it will obviate the necessity of frequent 
repetitions. 

The word rubric is derived from the Latin term rubor 
(red), and its application in this place is taken from the 
manner in which red was used in writing the Roman 



24 The Treasures of the Missal 

laws and decisions, the titles, maxims, and principal 
decisions being written in red. In early ages the 
rubrics of the Mass were not found in the Missal at all, 
much less in the place and order they now occupy, but 
were contained in other works known as Directories, 
Eituals, Ceremonials, and Ordos. They were finally in- 
corporated into the Missal by Burchard, elsewhere re- 
ferred to. The revision of the Missal by Pope St. Pius 
y. fixed them in the place they must ever occupy. 

After the rubrics come a preparation for and a 
thanksgiving after Mass, which are not, however, 
strictly obligatory on the celebrant. Then begins what 
may be termed the Missal proper, or that part of the 
book which contains the Masses of the feasts and saints. 
It opens with the Mass for the first Sunday of Advent, 
which contains, as all the other Masses do, those por- 
tions only of the Mass which are peculiar to the several 
days or feasts to which they are assigned, omitting 
those parts which are found in what is called the Ordi- 
nary of the Mass, which will be considered presently. 
The Masses for each Sunday and for some of the feasts 
which cluster immediately around Christmas, as well as 
for all the days of Lent, make up this division, which 
closes with Holy Saturday. Then comes the Ordinary 
of the Mass, which comprises all that part, except the 
secret prayers, from the gospel to the post-communion 
exclusive. It is composed of the prefaces, eleven in 
number, which are given first in solemn chant, then in 
ferial or simple chant, and finally without music, with 
rubrics directing the celebrant during which seasons or 
on which feasts each is to be said. 

Next there is the Canon of the Mass, so called from 
the Greek word Jcanoii, which means a rule ; because 
this part of the Mass, as it were, follows a rule, and 




The Angelical Salutation. 



See page 13. 



The Treasures of the Missal. 25 

admits of no changes, except of a few words on some of 
the more solemn feasts. To illustrate the firmness with 
which the Church resists all encroachments on the 
Canon, it may be stated that when the Holy Father, at 
the request of a very large number of the hierarchy of 
the Christian world, declared St. Joseph patron of the 
Universal Church, he at the same time refused the re- 
quest of a large number of prelates to have the name of 
the chaste spouse of the holy Mother of God inserted in 
the Canon after the consecration, where the names of 
about a dozen other saints are found. 

At the close of the Canon the feast ofj Easter begins 
the Masses, and it is followed by the Masses for all the 
Sundays till the last before Advent, with some other 
Masses in their proper places, as those within the octaves 
of Easter and Pentecost, and a few more. This closes 
what are called the Masses of seasons ; the rest of the 
Missal is taken up almost entirely with the Masses of 
saints, of mysteries in the life and passion of Our Lord 
and of His holy Mother, votive Masses, and Masses for 
the dead. The feasts of saints are of six grades : 
doubles of the first class ; doubles of the second class ; 
greater doubles ; lesser doubles ; semi-doubles ; and 
simples. The portion devoted to the Masses of saints is 
divided into two parts : the proper of saints and the 
common of saints. The former embraces all that is 
proper to each individual saint — as the collect ; or, the 
collect, secret prayer, and post-communion ; or, with 
these, the epistle and gospel ; or, in some instances, the 
entire Mass, with the exception of the Canon. The 
latter contains Masses for each class of saints— as 
martyrs, confessors, virgins, etc. — of which there are 
two or more for each class, and separate Masses for 
martyrs during paschal time. 



26 The Treasures of the Missal. 

The next section of the Missal is taken up with the 
votive Masses ; and these are followed by a number of 
prayers, one or more of which may be introduced into 
certain Masses at the option of the celebrant or the re- 
quest of the person for whose intention the Holy Sacri- 
fice is offered. Then come four different Masses for the 
dead : that for All-Souls' Day, which is also said for a 
deceased Pope or Bishop ; that for the day of a person's 
death or interment, which has also a prayer for the 
third, seventh, and thirtieth day after death ; that for 
the anniversary ; and, lastly, that for any day upon 
which a Mass for the dead is permitted by the rubrics. 
To these Masses are appended twelve prayers for differ- 
ent individuals or classes of the faithful departed, one 
or more of which can be introduced into the Mass ac- 
cording to certain rules, at the discretion of the cele- 
brant, or according to the intention of the person re- 
questing the celebration of the Mass. But the number 
of prayers should always be an odd one. An odd 
number, being indivisible, has a mystic signification. 
One represents unity in the several forms in which it 
appears in religious teaching, as the unity of God, the 
unity of the Church, the unity of the hierarchy, etc.; 
three represents the three Persons of the Adorable 
Trinity, Christ praying thrice in the Garden of Geth- 
semani, His rising from the dead on the third day, the 
angels thrice repeating Sanctus ; five represents the five 
wounds of Our Saviour ; and seven, the seven gifts of 
the Holy Ghost, the seven sacraments, and the seven 
petitions of the Lord's Prayer. These apply equally to 
the number of prayers used in the blessings of the 
Ritual.' 

Certain formulae for blessing water, articles of food, 

1 De Herdt, vol i. no. 82 ; O'Brien, p. 213. 



The Treasures of the Missal. 27 

and a few other things, occupy the next place in 
the Missal ; but inasmuch as they pertain rather to the 
Eitual they will be passed over for the present. After 
these we have the six votive Masses permitted by Pope 
Leo XIII. to be celebrated on the several days of the 
week upon which no saints' feasts occur or only feasts 
of minor rite. The rest of the Missal is taken up with 
Masses of saints that have been canonized, for the most 
part, since the time of St. Pius Y., and others that are 
peculiar to certain religious orders or localities. 

Such, in brief, is the Missal. It is believed that what 
has been said, though apparently very commonplace, 
will not be either useless or uninteresting. There are 
few priests who have not reason to regret the limited 
knowledge of many of their people ; and hence sim^Dle 
and jDlain instructions must ever be regarded as the 
most useful, though they will never be the most attrac- 
tive or popular. 

But the purpose of this article is twofold : First, to 
give a general idea of the construction of the Missal ; 
and, secondly, to call attention to the votive Masses 
and to the prayers that are permitted to be inserted in 
other Masses on some of the feasts of minor rite. But 
here the question naturally arises : "What is a votive 
Mass, and why so named ? The word is derived from 
the Latin votum, and, as found in the liturgy of the 
Church, means a Mass which does not correspond with 
the office of the day or feast, as found in the Breviary, 
and which is so named because it is celebrated by the 
free choice — or xotum — of the priests. The following 
are the votive Masses found in the Missal : That of the 
Most Holy Trinity, with a special collect when it is 
offered as a Mass of thanksgiving ; of the Angels ; of 
the holy Apostles Peter and Paul ; of the Holy Ghost ; 



28 The Treasures of the Missal. 

of the Most Holy Sacrament ; of the Cross ; of the 
Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ ; of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary, which varies for the different seasons of 
the year ; for the election of a Supreme Pontiff ; for 
the election or consecration of a Bishop ; for the de- 
struction of schism ; for every necessity ; for the remis- 
sion of sins ; for the grace of a good death ; against 
pagans ; in time of war ; for peace ; as a protection 
against mortality in time of pestilence ; for the sicky 
with a special prayer when it is said for those who are 
believed to be near their last hour ; for those on a 
journey ; and, finally, the Nuptial Mass, which is. 
treated at length in another part of this work. 

Besides the above votive Masses there are six others 
permitted, as was stated above, by the Holy See: 
namely, of the Angels ; of the xipostles ; of St. Joseph ; 
of the Most Blessed Sacrament ; of the Passion ; and of 
the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; 
some of which differ a little from those of the same 
title given above. In addition to these, however, any 
Mass of a saint may be said as a votive Mass, for a 
sufficient reason, upon the observance of certain rules,, 
which differ little from those governing other votive 
Masses. 

Still another mine of spiritual wealth of the Missal 
are the prayers, of which mention has already been 
made, one of which must, and more than one of which 
may, be inserted in the Mass on some Sundays and 
other days at the option of the celebrant, or in compli- 
ance with the request of the person for whose intention 
the Holy Sacrifice is being offered. These prayers are 
thirty-five in number, each of which includes, of course, 
the collect, the secret prayer, and the post-communion. 
The following are some of them— and the devout reader 



The Treasures of the MissaL 29 

cannot but admire the loving care with which the 
Church provides in them for our every necessity : To 
ask the intercession of the saints ; another of the same 
kind ; for every grade of persons in the Church ; for 
the Pope ; for prelates and congregations committed to 
their pastoral care ; against the persecutors of the 
Church ; for every necessity ; for every tribulation ; in 
time of famine ; in time of an earthquake ; for rain ; 
for fair weather ; against pests among animals ; for the 
celebrant himself ; for the gift of tears ; for the remis- 
sion of sins ; for those who are afflicted with tempta- 
tions and trials ; to repel evil thoughts ; for the gift of 
patience ; for the gift of charity ; for friends ; for ene- 
mies ; for the welfare of the living ; and for the living 
and the dead. To these must also be added the prayers 
found in the Mass of any saint or mystery, which may 
be taken upon certain conditions, that apply to but few 
of them. 

From all this it must be apparent to the thoughtful 
reader that not only have we an inestimable treasure in 
the Mass itself, but also that the value of this treasure 
is greatly enhanced by the special Mass which he can 
have celebrated, and which, besides its value as the 
greatest act of worship that man can offer to God, ha& 
a worth of its own from its being adapted to the par- 
ticular intention for which its celebration is requested — 
there being special Masses for so many different inten- 
tions, as we have just seen, besides one for every neces- 
sity. And, granting that for a sufficient reason this, 
special Mass is not permitted to be said, the addition of 
one of the prayers just named, when it is allowed, en- 
hances the value of the petition immensely, as being 
made to God through His divine Son and in the name 
of the Church. Hear St. Liguori on this point. After 



30 The Treasures of the Missal. 

citing the opinion of a theologian, with which he concurs, 
that the prayer of a lay person when offered up in 
church at the time when Mass is being celebrated is on 
that account the more readily and more certainly heard, 
he adds : '^ How much more the prayer of the priest 
himself ? " And speaking of the Divine Office, which, 
though more efficacious than any other form of prayer, 
is yet far less so than the Mass, he says: "Many pri- 
vate prayers do not equal in value only one prayer of 
the Divine Office, as being offered to God in the name 
of the whole Church." ^ 

In the Old Law there were many sacrifices, suited to 
the manifold wants of the people of God ; the sacrifice 
of the New Law has not only taken the place of all 
those in the sense of being the supreme act of worship 
of God, but also as being the supreme act of petition 
for man. 

Serious reflection on the inestimable treasure we pos- 
sess in the adorable sacrifice of the Mass, as briefly set 
forth in this essay, will convince the reader of the ad- 
vantage he may derive from asking for the graces, both 
general and particular, which he stands in need of, by 
means of this holy sacrifice. The graces, as St. Liguori 
remarks, which are not obtained in the Mass are with 
difficulty obtained at any other time. Here it is not 
man who prays, but the God -Man, who petitions His 
eternal Father for His people through the ministry of 
His priests. 

1 " Sacerdos Sanctificatus," pp. 36, 128. 



The Treasures of the Ritual, 31 



III.— THE TREASURES OF THE RITUAL. 

The formation of the Ritual was the same as that of 
the Missal ; its contents were not in the beginning found 
in their present form, nor even in one book. The early- 
Rituals — for such they really were — went by a variety 
of names, according to the nature of their contents and 
the sacred functions in which they were used, and em- 
braced a more or less complete collection of the rules 
for the rites and ceremonies to be observed in the ad- 
ministration of the sacraments, funeral services, bless- 
ings, etc. At length, however, the name Ritual came 
to be regarded as the most appropriate term, and as 
such superseded all others in the Western or Latin 
Church. 

But to whom, it may be asked, do we owe the Ritual 
in its present form ? A Sacerdotale — another name for 
Ritual — was edited by Castellanus and printed at Rome 
in 1537. Previously different dioceses were free to fol- 
low their own Rituals, but in 1614 an edition with the 
title Rituals was drawn up under Pope Paul Y., who, in 
the bull Apostolicce Sedi exhorted all prelates, secular 
and regular, to conform to it exactly. ^ But the fact that 
all persons of whatever rank are only exhorted in the 
Lord — hortamur in Domino are the words of the bull 
— to use this one to the exclusion of all others, would 
indicate that the use of the Ritual is not of so strict 
obligation as that of the Missal. But this is a point 
which, though warmly discussed among the rubricists, 

1 '• Catholic Dictionary," p. 721. 



32 The Treasures of the Ritual. 

and not yet definitely settled, would not be of interest 
to the general reader. 

But who was it that reduced the Ritual to its present 
form ? It may be remarked in passing, that the Ritual, 
like the Missal, was revised in accordance with the 
recommendation of the Council of Trent, for the sake of 
securing uniformity, as far as possible, in the adminis- 
tration of the sacraments and the performance of the 
other sacred functions of religion. The Ritual was 
finally reduced to its present form by a commission of 
Cardinals appointed for that purpose by Pope Paul V., 
who were assisted by many other eminent divines ; but, 
as we learn from the bull of the Pope, prefixed to the 
Ritual, and dated June 17, 1614, it was mainly the work 
of Julius Antonius, Cardinal Priest of St. Severinus — 
a man, as the same bull declares, of remarkable piety, 
zeal, and learning. From the time it came from his 
hands it has undergone little change, although it was re- 
vised by Pope Benedict XIV., who prefixed to his re- 
vision a bull — Quoniam autem — dated March 25, 1752. 
Several additions, for the most part in the form of ap- 
pendices, have since been made to it, consisting of 
various blessings, etc. 

Before discussing the blessings of the Ritual, it will be 
advisable to give the reader an idea of its divisions and 
contents. 

After certain decrees of Sovereign Pontiffs with which 
the Ritual opens, there is a short chapter devoted to 
general remarks on the administration of the sacra- 
ments. The sacrament of Baptism is then taken up, 
with all the prayers and ceremonies for its administra- 
tion to infants and adults by a priest or a bishop. Then 
follows the manner of administering the sacrament of 
Penance, with the form of absolution from censures in 



The Treasures of the Ritual. 33 

•case a person has incurred any. A chapter follows on 
the manner of giving Holy Communion outside of Mass, 
and to the sick, with remarks on Easter Communion. 
After this comes Extreme Unction, with the Seven Pen- 
itential Psalms and the Litany of the Saints, which 
those in attendance in the sick room are directed to 
recite during the administration of the last sacraments. 
To these is added a chapter on the visitation of the sick, 
Tvith prayers and selections from the gospels, to be read 
on such occasions, as far as time and circumstances 
permit or render advisable ; also the method of assisting 
the dying, giving the last blessing, and recommending 
the departing soul to God. Then follows all that relates 
to the funeral obsequies, which the reader will find 
treated at length in the essay on that subject. 

The sacrament of Matrimony, with churching, or the 
blessing of a woman after child-birth, closes that part of 
the Ritual which relates to the administration of the 
sacraments. And here it may not be out of place to 
remark parenthetically that for the convenience of 
priests on the mission, w^ho have to go on frequent and 
often distant sick-calls, those portions of the Ritual 
necessary for such occasions are printed separately in a 
smaller book, that may be easily carried in the pocket. 
These books are sometimes, though improperly, called 
Hituals. The remainder of the Ritual is devoted prin- 
<jipally to the blessings of various objects, from the ma- 
jestic cathedral or extensive cemetery to the diminutive 
medal. But before treating of these it will be advisable 
to complete the survey af the contents and divisions of 
the remainder of the Ritual. The numerous blessings 
will then be discussed in detail. • 

A number of blessings, some of which are reserved to 
;a bishop, or a priest having special faculties from him, 



34 The Treasures of the Ritual. 

come next ; and these are followed by the ceremonies^, 
prayers, psalmc, hymns, etc., for the processions of Can- 
dlemas Day, Palm Sunday, the Greater Litany, which 
takes place on the feast of St. Mark, April 25, and Cor- 
pus Christi ; the procession praying for rain, for fair 
weather,- for the dispelling of tempests ; in time of want 
or famine, in time of mortality or pestilence ; prayers to- 
be added to the Litany of the Saints in time of war ; 
for whatever necessity, with prayers to be added when 
it is made in thanksgiving for favors received ; and,, 
finally, a procession for the translation — or solemn re- 
moval from one place to another — of sacred relics. 
Then comes in order an exorcism — which is quite long, 
and consists of prayers, psalms, and selections from the 
gospels for expelling the spirit of evil from those who 
are possessed or obsessed by him. Kext are given the^ 
various formulas for making registries of marriages^ 
baptisms, confirmations, etc., in the several books re- 
quired to be kept in the archives of every church. With 
these the Kitual proper closes ; but there are two appen- 
dices and a supplement which aggregate three-fourths 
its own size. 

The first of these opens with a short form for blessing 
baptismal water for the use of missionaries who give sta- 
tions in places to which they cannot conveniently carry 
water from the font in the church. This is followed 
by the ceremony by which a priest, with the necessary 
faculties — very rarely granted by the Holy See — admin- 
isters Confirmation where there is as yet no bishop ; 
instructions for a priest who is permitted to celebrate 
Mass twice the same day ; and the Litanies of the Saints^ 
of the Blessed Virgin, and of the Holy Name of Jesus. 
Then begin the blessings for various articles, some of 
which may be performed by any priest, others by a 



The Treasures of the Ritual, 35 

priest having special faculties, some by a bishop only, 
others by the members of certain religious orders or 
congregations, while not a few are peculiar to certain 
dioceses. But of these more anon. 

The second appendix comprises an additional number 
of blessings. The Ritual closes with a brief supplement, 
which does not, properly speaking, form a part of it, 
but is given for the convenience of priests in this coun- 
try, and will, therefore, be passed over without com- 
ment. 

Such is the Roman Ritual, according to the latest 
revision. We shall now take up the principal blessings, 
and to these the reader's attention is earnestly invited, 
as they constitute a rich treasure for those who will 
draw from it in a spirit of lively faith. 

The blessing of various objects by the Church proves 
three things : First, the fall of man, and the passing 
of the world into the power of him who is called ' ' the 
prince of this world " ; secondly, the solicitude of the 
Ohurch that whatever is used by her children should 
be *' sanctified by the word of God and prayer"; and, 
thirdly, it proves the faith of Catholics in times past ; 
because many, if not all, of these blessings would never 
have been instituted had they not been asked for by 
the piety of the faithful. It may be further remarked 
that the prayers recited in the several blessings as a rule 
indicate or express both the desire that the article 
blessed may be conducive to the spiritual and temporal 
welfare of those for whom it is intended, and also the 
special grace for which the blessing petitions. The 
number of blessings in the Ritual is much greater than 
the majority of Catholics imagine, being at least one 
hundred and twenty-five. These are so many sacra- 
mentals or vehicles of grace, which the Church makes 



36 The Treasures of the Ritual. 

use of to impart not only spiritual but also temporal 
blessings to her children. 

The general rules for the blessing of articles are : 
that the priest who performs the sacred function should. 
be vested in surplice and violet stole, commonly, though 
another color is sometimes required ; that he should 
stand, with head uncovered, attended by an acolyte 
carrying the holy-water pot with the sprinkler ; and 
that he should begin with the versicle — in Latin, of 
course : ' ' Our help is in the name of the Lord ; " tO' 
which the acolyte responds : ' ' Who made heaven and 
earth." V, "O Lord! hear my prayer." R. **And 
let my cry come to Thee." F.*' The Lord be with you.'^ 
R. ''And with thy spirit." Then follow the prayer or 
prayers ; for in many cases there are three or even- 
more, but seldom two, for the Church prefers odd num- 
bers, as was said above with regard to the collects of 
the Mass. Sometimes also an additional number of 
versicles and responses is found ; or again, one or more 
psalms or hymns form part of the blessing ; or, in cer- 
tain cases, there is an exorcism. At the conclusion of 
the blessing the object is usually sprinkled with holy 
water, and in the more solemn blessings — as those of 
ashes, candles, palms, etc., to which the reader is re- 
ferred — incense is also used. 

So great is the variety of blessings found in the Kitual 
that it is not easy to classify them ; but some attempt 
will be made to group those together that seem most 
nearly related to one another. And first, of blessings^ 
of persons. There is a blessing for those who make a. 
pilgrimage to the holy places of Palestine and another 
for them on their return ; a form of absolving and 
blessing persons and fields by a special indult from the 
Holy See. But these are special, and are rarely given* 



The Treasures of the Ritual, 3T 

in our day, at least in this country. Those that follow 
are in more general use. Of these is the blessing of 
St. Blase, which is commonly given on the feast of that 
saint (Feb. 3d) to children as a preventative against 
diseases of the throat. Next comes the blessing of sick 
adults, which is followed by that for pregnant women, 
for the grace of a happy delivery — a blessing that 
should be more frequently asked, when the natural 
difficulties of parturition are borne in mind, the trans- 
mission of original sin, and the unscrupulous methods 
resorted to by too many physicians, and permitted by 
irreligious or indifferently instructed mothers, which 
practices, called by their right names, are nothing more 
nor less, in most instances, than the wilful murder of 
the defenceless. Why should not mothers have recourse 
to the Creator to save His creatures from the peril in 
which they are temporarily placed rather than use im- 
proper means to destroy, most probably, their frail lives, 
and doom them to an eternal separation from God ? 

Then there is a blessing for infants, that they may live- 
to grow up in innocence and holiness, uncontaminated 
by sin ; another for a child, that it may obtain the mercj 
of God, and increase, like the divine Child, in wisdom, 
age, and grace with God and men, and attain to a ripe 
old age ; and still another for children, assembled in 
the church for that purpose, in which the virtues suita- 
ble for their age and state of life are besought of God. 
After these comes a blessing for sick children who have 
come to the use of reason, that they may be restored to- 
health, to the Church, and to their parents. Finally, 
there is a blessing for boys and girls on the feast of the 
Union of the Holy Infancy, asking especially for spiritual 
strength and the grace to guard against temptation. 

Next are found the various blessings of religious arti- 



38 The Treasures of the Ritual. 

cles, several of which the reader will find treated in 
separate essays in this work. Among these may be 
mentioned the blessing of a new cross ; the blessing of 
a statue of Our Lord, His blessed Mother, and the 
saints, in the countless styles in which they are de- 
signed ; the blessing of a church-organ ; of a proces- 
sional banner ; of the metal for a new bell ; and of a 
girdle in honor of the Blessed Virgin, for health of body, 
purity of soul, and the divine protection. Then there 
is another blessing for a crucifix or a picture of the 
crucifixion ; the simple blessing of a bell, which is not 
intended to be used for a church ; and, lastly, the bless- 
ing for crosses, crucifixes, rosaries, chaplets, statues, 
etc. , and imparting to them what are called the Papal 
indulgences. 

Another class of objects to which the blessings of the 
Church are imparted are the several kinds of buildings. 
And first, there is the blessing of houses on Holy Satur- 
day, in the performance of which the priest, clothed in 
surplice and white stole, and attended, as usual, by an 
acolyte, passes from house to house, begging that as the 
blood of the paschal lamb, which was a figure of the 
true Lamb of God, protected the Israelites in their 
houses in Egj^t from the destroying angel, so God 
would deign to send His angels to guard the inmates of 
these houses from all harm. Besides this, there is an- 
other blessing for dwellings, which may be given at any 
time by a priest ; another for a house ; another for a 
place, which may also be applied to a house ; and a 
blessing for a bed-chamber. Would it not be well for 
Christians, who spend so much of their time in their 
houses, particularly in their bed-chambers, where per- 
Tiaps they were born, and where they expect to die, to 
liave these fortified with the blessings of religion ? It 



The Treasures of the Ritual. 3d 

is the pious custom of many persons, and it should be 
that of all ; and it is with a view of increasing their 
knowledge, and thus stimulating their piety and their 
confidence in the divine protection, so liberally imparted 
by the Church, the dispenser of the graces of the Ke- 
demption, that this essay is written. Still another 
blessing for houses is given, which is assigned to the 
feast of the Epiphany, in which reference is made to 
the mysteries which that solemnity commemorates. 

The Church, the patron of education and all useful 
knowledge, has also a blessing for a new school, in 
which the spiritual and temporal favors desirable for 
the pupils are besought of Almighty God. Lastly 
there is the blessing of the first stone of any edifice, no 
matter for what purpose it is intended, begging of God 
that what is undertaken for His honor and glory may 
be brought to a successful termination. 

Blessings of articles of food shall next be considered. 
There is, as has been said, a number of blessings in the 
Missal for eatables and a few other things ; but they 
are reproduced in the Ritual, and properly come up for 
treatment in this place. Of living things, there is a 
blessing for the paschal lamb, beseeching God that He 
would deign to bless it through the resurrection of Our 
Lord Jesus Christ, for the welfare of those who wish to 
partake of it. Also a blessing for fowls, with a refer- 
ence to the action of Noe in sacrificing of the animals^ 
and fowls saved in the ark from the ravages of the del- 
uge, and to Moses, at the command of God drawing the^ 
line between clean and unclean creatures in the Old 
Dispensation. This benediction asks that those who 
partake of these creatures may be replenished with the 
divine benediction, and may merit to be nourished unto 
eternal life. Among the blessings for other articles of 



40 The Ireasures of the Ritual, 

food may be mentioned a blessing for fruits and vines ; 
ior eggs ; two for bread ; for new fruits ; for any eata- 
ble ; for simple oil ; and for wine, on the feast of St. 
John the Evangelist. This blessing, where it is given, 
usually takes place at the end of Mass, while the cele- 
brant is still vested, with the exception of the maniple, 
ivhich he lays aside. It is imparted in honor of the 
.apostle St. John, who is said to have drunk poisoned 
wine without being injured by it ; and the special favor 
asked is that all who partake of it on that day may be 
7)rotected from the evil effects of poison, and from all 
•else detrimental to their health, and may also be pre- 
vServed from sin. To these must be added a blessing for 
bread and cakes ; for cheese and butter ; and, finally — 
peace to the ashes of Father Mathew — one for beer, in- 
troduced, no doubt, through the influence of some pious 
Bavarian. 

There are many other blessings in the Kitual which 
cannot be brought under distinct heads, but which will 
be treated in some kind of order. Taking, in the first 
place, those which relate to living creatures, there is 
one for bees, containing a reference to the mystical use 
of their wax in the service of the altar, begging that 
they may be preserved from everything hurtful to them, 
^nd that the fruit of their labors may redound to the 
^lory of the three Divine Persons and of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary ; a blessing for herds of cattle and oxen ; 
for horses and other animals ; for animals attacked by 
^ plague ; and another somewhat similar to it for herds 
of cattle and oxen afflicted with any disease. Then 
there is a deprecatory blessing against mice, locusts, 
^rubs, and all noxious vermin. While the worldly- 
minded may smile at these things, talk about the Pope's 
bull against the comet, and be joined, tacitly at least, 



The Treasures of. the Ritual, 41 

by some nominal Catholics — for it is hard for Catholics 
to live in the world without some of them becoming 
contaminated by its sinister influences — the devout child 
of the Church will ever bear in mind that ** every best 
gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down 
from the Father of Lights ; " ^ that ''the earth is the 
Lord's and the fulness thereof ; " ^ and that all things 
are under the direction of an all-ruling Providence, by 
whose command or permission everything takes place, 
in the irrational and inanimate creation as well as in 
the angelic spheres. 

Among the many other blessings of inanimate things 
are the blessing of a new ship ; of gold, frankincense, 
and myrrh on the feast of the Epiphany ; of chalk for 
writing the names of the three Magi on the doors of 
houses ; of seeds and sowed fields ; two for railroads, 
and the cars to run on them ; of a new bridge ; of a- 
fountain or spring of water ; of a well ; of fire ; of a 
limekiln ; of a smelting furnace ; of seed grain ; of a 
granary and harvested grain ; of a bakery ; of linen or 
bandages for the wounded ; of every kind of medicine ; 
of salt and vegetables for animals ; of a stable for 
horses, oxen, and other draught animals ; of a tele- 
graph ; and, lastly, there is one for anything whatever 
for which no special blessing is given. 

Besides these and many others not mentioned — for 
all could not be introduced — there is a large number 
reserved to bishops and to the members of religious 
orders or congregations, which cannot be imparted by 
any other priest, unless he receives special faculties for 
that purpose. These faculties are commonly given, or 
may be easily obtained for certain articles ; as, for ex- 
ample, investing with the Brown Scapular, erecting the 
» St. James, i. 17. 2 Psalms, xxiii. 1. 



42 The Treasures of the Ritual, 

Way of the Cross, blessing the Beads of St. Dominic, 
etc. 

Not a few of the above blessings might readily and 
naturally have been made the subject of interesting 
comments or marginal notes, but it was thought better 
not to interrupt the course of the essay too much, and 
only to give what was deemed necessary for a proper 
understanding of the subject. Such, then, are some, 
though not all, of the treasures which the Kitual of tho 
Church places at our disposal, kind reader ; examine 
them carefully, and try to avail yourself of them as far 
as your necessities may require or your piety prompt ; 
remembering that no matter how largely you draw from 
the treasury of divine grace it can never be exhausted. 
'* Hitherto," says Christ, *'you have asked nothing in 
My name ; ask and you shall receive, that your joy may 
befuU."^ 

» St. John, xvi. 24. 



The Treasures of the Breviary, 43^ 



' IV.— THE TKEASURES OF THE BREVIARY. 

But what, the reader will ask, have I to do with the^ 
Breviary? Only priests are concerned with it. Let 
US see. Perhaps you have more to do with it than you 
imagine. Is it a small matter that in this country alone 
more than eight thousand priests daily spend from an 
hour to an hour and a half in its recitation ? Surely 
some others also must be benefited by so holy an exer- 
cise. But when it is remembered that the clergy of 
the United States form but a small fraction of those of 
the universal Church, the importance of this good work 
will be still more apparent. 

Any attempt to explain the Breviary, the arrange- 
ment of its parts, and the changes for the different 
seasons, feasts, etc., w^ould tend to confuse the reader 
rather than enlighten him, and will not, for that reason, 
be undertaken. But inasmuch as essays have been 
given on the treasures of the Missal and the Ritual, it 
seems fitting that something should also be said of the 
Breviary ; and it is believed the reader will find that it 
is far from being an uninteresting volume. 

The Breviary, it is unnecessary to state, is a book 
containing the offices which all priests and others in 
Holy Orders are obliged, under pain of mortal sin, to 
recite daily, unless exempted by a grave reason. It is 
divided into four volumes, similar to one another in 
general outline, and adapted to the four seasons of the^ 
year, as the whole in one volume would be too un- 
wieldy for general use. The Office is known by several 
names. It is called the Divine Office, because it is re- 



44 The Treasures of the Breviary, 

cited in the divine honor ; the Ecclesiastical or Church 
Office, because it is recited in the name and by the com- 
mand of the Church ; the Canonical Office, because it 
is said according to the sacred canons or laws of the 
Church ; and the Breviary, for reasons that will appear 
in the sequel. But by far the most common name by 
which it is known among both the clergy and laity is 
simply the Office. It is composed of psalms, canticles, 
liymns ; lessons from the Scripture, the lives of the 
saints, and the homilies or sermons of the Fathers ; 
prayers, versicles and responses, with the frequent repe- 
tition of the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, and the 
Apostles' Creed ; and it is divided into seven parts called 
the canonical hours. These are Matins, with Lauds, so 
named from the Latin word matutiiium (morning), be- 
cause in the primitive Church, and still with some re- 
ligious orders, this part of the Office was said early in 
the morning ; and it is required to be recited by all 
priests before Mass, unless hindered by a sufficient 
cause. Then come Prime — that is, first, because it was 
.said at the first hour, or sunrise ; Tierce, or third, from 
its being recited at the third hour, or nine o'clock ; Sext, 
•or sixth, which was said at the sixth hour, or noon ; 
JS'one, or nine, recited at the ninth hour, or three 
o'clock ; Vespers, from the Latin word vespera (even- 
ing), because it was said in the evening ; and Com- 
pline, or the completion, which was recited at bed-time, 
^nd served both as a fitting night-prayer and a comple- 
tion of the Office. 

It is to be remarked that the secular clergy and some 
-of the religious orders and congregations are not bound 
to recite the Office precisely at these hours, being ex- 
-empted by the nature of their pastoral duties or by their 
rules. They are permitted to say it at any time within 




Reijgious Processions. 



^-"■^ 



See page 13. 



The Treasures of the Breviary, 45 

the twenty-four hours of the day, and as much at a time 
-as they may have the opportunity or the desire to recite ; 
with the additional privilege of anticipating Matins and 
Xauds on the previous day, at any time after the middle 
of the afternoon, and in some countries after two 
o'clock. It may be further remarked that in the early 
days of the Church many of the faithful were accus- 
tomed to assist at the whole or a part of the Office, which 
was recited publicly in the church, — in choir, as it is 
<jalled, — a custom which is still continued in many of 
the cathedrals and larger churches of the Old World. 

According to the best authorities, the Office is sub- 
.stantially of apostolic origin, although it has undergone 
a gradual change till it has at length reached its present 
form. In the beginning it was composed almost en- 
tirely of the Psalms of David, which may be called the 
prayer-book of the early Christians; and they are the 
.groundwork of the Office even at the present day. As 
time went on the Breviary gradually assumed its present 
form, the finishing touches being put to it at the recom- 
mendation of the Council of Trent. The first Breviary 
•corrected by the Pope at the request of that august as- 
sembly was published in the year 1602. All persons 
obliged to the recitation of the Office were commanded 
to use this Breviary and no other, except such religious 
orders or churches as could claim for their own partic- 
ular Office an antiquity of at least two hundred years. 
Previous to that time great latitude had been claimed 
by many bishops and religious communities in the 
.arrangement of their respective Offices and reluctantly 
accorded by the Holy See. 

The reason for adopting the name Breviary for the 
book containing the Office, and figuratively for the 
Office itself, has long been a subject of dispute. Some 



46 The Treasures of the Breviary. 

authorities maintain that it was so called from the fact 
that it is an abridgment, or epitome, of the Sacred 
Scriptures and the lives of the saints, the Latin word 
hreviarium meaning an abstract or abridgment. Others 
will have it that the name had its origin from the short- 
ening of the Office itself. The name was first used at 
the end of the eleventh century, when the Office was 
considerably abbreviated. The book containing the 
new Office was called the Breviary, or shortened Office, 
in contradistinction to the longer one. This seems to 
be the stronger reason for calling it the Breviary, and 
the true origin of the term ; because when the two 
Offices were in use — as they were for a considerable 
time— the new one would naturally be distinguished 
from the other by the name of Breviary, or abridgment. 
With regard to the division of the Office into seven 
parts, or hours, there can be no doubt that, as it was. 
at first composed almost exclusively of the psalms of 
the Koyal Prophet, so it was divided in accordance with 
his pious custom, as expressed in his own words : 
** Seven times a day I have given praise to Thee, O 
God ! " ^ And though it was some time before all the 
several parts were formed, yet traces of some, at least, 
of the hours are found even in the days of the apostles. 
Nor is the opinion of some writers improbable, that the 
apostles, being converts from Judaism, adopted a 
division of prayer then in vogue among the Jews, the 
more devout of whom had learned from their great 
prophet-king to divide the day's devotions into seven 
parts, or at least to have a certain number of fixed times 
for prayer.^ But be that as it may, it is well known 
that in the times of the apostles the day was divided 
into certain hours of prayer.* Nor did the apostles 

1 Psalms, cxviii. 164. ^ Daniel, vi. 10. « Acts, ill. 1 ; x. 9. 



The Treasures of the Breviary, 47 

permit the most important duties, even those of charity, 
to interfere with their devotions, so highly did they 
value communion with God.^ Tertullian, who flour- 
ished in the latter half of the second century, calls the 
third, sixth, and ninth hours the Apostolic Hours ; the 
Apostolic Constitutions, which date no later at most 
than the third century, speak of Prime ; and St. 
Oyprian, who lived in the third century, mentions 
Tespers.^ According to one authority, Compline was 
^dded by St. Benedict, in the sixth century ;^ but an- 
other authority,* perhaps more deserving of respect, 
speaks of it as existing as early as the time of St. Am- 
brose, or in the latter half of the fourth century. 

So much for the origin and divisions of the Office ; 
two points yet more interesting remain to be discussed : 
the excellence of the Office as a form of prayer, and the 
part the laity have in the fruits of its recitation. 

The excellence of the Office is derived from several 
sources, the first of which is the matter of which it is 
composed. The greater part of it is the inspired word 
of God, taken from the Scriptures of both the Old and 
New Testaments. Besides, there are abridged lives of 
the most illustrious servants of God in every age ; ex- 
tracts from the homilies and sermons of the Fathers of 
the primitive Church ; hymns as remarkable for their 
authorship and literary merit as for the sublime truths 
and pious sentiments which they express ; canticles 
which, for the beauty of their thought and language, 
liave elicited the admiration of the learned of all times ; 
and prayers that will never be equalled for their brev- 
ity, and tenderness and comprehensiveness of expression. 
"Many private prayers," says St. Liguori, "do not 

1 Acts, vi. 4. 2 "Catholic Dictionary," article Breviai-y. 

3 " Kirchen-Lexicon." * Wapelhorst, p. 351. 



48 The Treasures of the Breviary. 

equal in value only one prayer of the Divine Office, as- 
being offered to God in the name of the whole Churchy 
and in His own appointed words. Hence St. Mary Mag- 
dalen of Pazzi says that, in comparison with the Divine 
Office all other prayers and devotions are of but little^ 
merit and efficacy with God. Let us be convinced, 
then, that after the holy sacrifice of the Mass the Church 
possesses no source, no treasure, so abundant as the 
Office, from which we may draw such daily streams of 
grace." ^ We may say wath perfect confidence that the 
Office is the most efficacious form of prayer ever com- 
posed. Nothing approaches it in efficacy but the ador- 
able sacrifice of the Mass, which, though accompanied 
with prayers, is not itself a prayer, but a sacrifice. The 
better to be convinced of this important truth, let us 
glance for a moment at the parts of which an Office is- 
composed ; and let us take the Office of a confessor and 
bishop, which is one of the shortest, and may for other 
reasons be regarded as one of the best samples. It is 
composed of thirty-eight psalms, counting the divisions, 
of the one hundred and eighteenth psalm, three canti- 
cles, eight hymns, nine prayers, the Lord's Prayer re- 
peated fourteen times, the Hail Mary seven times, the= 
Apostles' Creed three times, and the Confiteor once, 
when recited by one person alone. ' There are three les- 
sons from the Sacred Scripture, three from the life of 
the saint whose feast is being celebrated, and three from 
a homily of one of the Fathers on the gospel read in the^^ 
Mass of the saint, with an absolution before each three^ 
and a blessing before each one. Then there are eight 
little chaptei^, the Te Deum once, the antiphon of the^ 
Blessed Virgin twice, and a great number and variety 
of versicles and responses, taken for the most part from. 
I ""Sacerdos Sanctificatus," pp. 138, 129. 



The Treasures of the Breviary, 49 

the Scripture. The mere devout recitation of these by 
any person must call down innumerable graces. 

JBut another source of excellence of the Office is that 
it is recited by ministers of God, who have been raised 
to the most exalted dignity on earth, that they may 
praise God in the name of all mankind, and petition for 
graces for all His children. Nor is this all. The Office 
is recited in the name of the Church, and by her au- 
thority ; and hence it has all the influence with God 
that the spouse of His divine Son can give it, with the 
merit, too, of obedience on the part of those who recite 
it. It is the one great public prayer of the Church, as- 
the Mass is the one great sacrifice of the Church. And 
here it is well to pause and explain what is meant by a^ 
public prayer in the language of the Church. It is not 
necessarily one that is said in public, even by the high- 
est dignitary of the Church, but one that is . recited Id 
the name and by the authority of the Church. Hence^ 
for example, if an archbishop were to recite the Eosary 
in his cathedral, and be responded to by a crowded 
audience, it would not be public prayer in the meaning^ 
of the Church ; while it would be a public prayer for a 
priest, or even a subdeacon, to recite his Office alone in 
his room : because the one acts in his own name, the 
other in the name of the Church. 

Again, the Office is so excellent a form of prayer 
that no indulgence is granted for its recitation, as there 
is none granted for hearing Mass ; and this is, perhaps, 
the best evidence we could have of its surpassing excel- 
lence. Much more might be said on this point, but this, 
it is believed, will be sufficient to impress the reader 
with the idea that the Office stands alone, and far above 
all other exercises of devotion. But what benefits do 
you, kind reader, derive from the recitation of the Office 



50 The Treasures of the Breviary, 

by the clergy ? This is a matter in which you are 
especially interested, and in which it is possible a pleas- 
ing revelation may be made to you in the concluding 
portion of this essay. 

From the foundation of the world, as we learn from 
both sacred and profane history, certain persons were 
set apart to be, as it were, intermediaries between the 
people and God, not only to offer sacrifices, which was 
always the greatest act of divine worship, but also to 
pray for the people, to present their petitions before the 
divine presence, and to solicit such spiritual and tem- 
poral favors as might be desired. This is true not only 
•of the Church of God in all times — whether patriarchal. 
Jewish, or Christian — but it is also true of the heathen 
nations, as is learned from the histories of ancient 
J^gypt, Chaldea, Greece, and Kome ; and even from our 
own aboriginal tribes, that had their medicine-men, 
wrhose services were so frequently demanded to propitiate 
the powers of the unseen world. 

As regards the Jewish religion, the passages going 
to prove that the priests prayed, as well as offered sac- 
rifice for the people, both individually and collectively, 
are so numerous that quotation is uncalled for ; but 
nowhere is this more pathetically inculcated than in the 
following passage: *' Between the porch and the altar 
the priests, the Lord's ministers, shall weep, and shall 
say : Spare, O Lord ! spare Thy people ; and give not 
Thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathens should 
rule over them."^ 

The graces of the Eedemption being more numerous, 
and flowing from more copious fountains, than those of 
the former dispensation, it is naturally to be expected 

1 Joel, ii. 17. 



The Treasures of the Breviary. 51 

that the priests of the i!Tew Law, the dispensers of the- 
mysteries of God, as St. Paul calls them, should be en- 
trusted with a more high and sacred office, and be vested 
with more ample powers : as the same apostle writes r 
*' Every high-priest taken from among men is ordained 
for men in the things that appertain to God." ^ In so 
far as this relates to the recitation of the Office, we shall 
again appeal to the authority of St. Liguori, one of the 
most learned, as well as one of the most holy, men of 
modern times ; and in appealing to him we feel a secu- 
rity seldom accorded by the Holy See to the writings even 
of a saint — that, namely, that no person can be molested 
for adhering to an opinion in theological matters ad- 
vanced by him. Although the little work from whick 
the subjoined extracts are taken was written for priests, 
and although the extracts themselves are only remotely 
applicable to the laity, yet, as they go to show both the 
excellence of the Office, and the fact that it is recited 
for the benefit of the whole Church, and not for that of 
the clergy only, as is too generally supposed, they will 
be given as they stand : 

'' To those," says the saint, ** who are deputed by the 
Church to recite the Canonical Hours two very great 
and important offices are entrusted — that of praising 
and glorifying God and that of imploring the divine 
mercies upon all Christian people. . . . The Church has 
appointed her ministers to sing the Divine Office that 
men on earth may join with the blessed in heaven in 
honoring their common Creator. ... As seculars are 
constantly distracted with the affairs of the world, 
Holy Church has appointed her ministers to implore for 
themselves and for all the people of Christ the assistance 
* Hebrews, v. 1. 



52 The Treasures of the Breviary, 

of His divine majesty through the different hours of the 
day. For this end the Office is divided into seven 
canonical hours, that there may be always some praying 
for all, and in the best form of prayer ; inasmuch as the 
Divine Office is nothing less than a memorial drawn up 
for us by God Himself, through which He may more 
readily hear our prayers, and succor us in our necessi- 
ties." And, addressing priests, he continues: '* Con- 
sider that the Church charges you as her ministers to 
go and praise the Lord, and to implore His divine 
mercies for all mankind. . . . In a word, think that you 
are going to speak to Him of your own welfare and of 
that of the whole Church ; and reflect that He then re- 
gards you with greater love, and listens more propi- 
tiously to your petitions." ^ 

Have you not now, kind reader, an answer to your 
question : What have 1 to do with the Breviary ? 
"When, then, you see a priest recite his Office, whether 
in the leisure that a limited amount of parochial duties 
places at his disposal, or in the moments snatched from 
rest, sleep, or the multifarious and distracting parish 
■work of a large congregation, do not fail to remember 
that you, without any effort or exertion on your part, 
are sharing in his prayers ; and let your heart well up 
with sentiments of gratitude to God, whose infinite 
w^isdom has ordered all things with such love for you, 
and with thankfulness to the good priest, who has per- 
haps deprived himself of much-needed rest that he 
might approach the throne of Divine Mercy to present 
your spiritual and temporal necessities there, wholly 
unknown to you. Not until the day of the final reckon- 
ing will you understand how deeply you may be in- 
1 *' Sacerdos Sanctificatus," pp. 126-135. 



The Treasures of the Breviary. 53 

debted for signal graces to some priest, who perhaps 
refused your urgent invitation to dinner, tea, or an 
excursion, that he, might say his Office with more leisure 
and recollection. The recitation of the Breviary is only 
one more evidence of the truth that priests are not 
ordained for themselves, but for the people. 



54 T7ie Sign of the Cross, 



Y.~THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. 

The execution of criminals in the early ages of the 
world, and until a comparatively recent date, was 
marked by extreme cruelty and barbarity/ A favorite 
way of inflicting capital punishment among many 
nations was that of hanging criminals to trees. This 
practice apparently led to the adoption of crosses for a 
similar purpose. Execution by crucifixion, of which 
traces are to be found from the remotest times among 
the nations of the East and North, was carried into 
effect in two ways : the sufferer was either bound to a 
tree or to an upright stake, sometimes after being im- 
paled, and there left to perish ; or, again, nails were 
driven through his hands and feet, and his limbs were 
also sometimes secured by cords. In time a horizontal 
bar was fixed to the upright post, and the victim's hands 
were stretched out upon it. Such, as we learn from the 
Gospel narrative, was the manner in which our divine 
Redeemer was crucified. 

The earliest mention we have of this manner of exe- 
cuting criminals was at the time of King David, more 
than a thousand years before the beginning of the Chris- 
tian era. The Old Testament states that the Gabaonites 
demanded from the Jewish king seven persons of the 
house of Saul, that they might be crucified to appease 
that people for the treacheries and cruelties practised 
by King Saul against their nation.^ 

Although the cross was an instrument of torture, there 

1 *' Manners, Customs, and Dress during the Middle Ages,'* 
Lacroix, pp. 407 et seq. 
a II. Kings, xxi. 6 ; I. Edsras, vl. 11. 



The Sign of the Cross, 55 

is conclusive evidence, according to certain writers, that 
it was also honored in almost every nation. The follow- 
ing extract from one of these writers will be given as a 
sample : * ' From the dawn of organized paganism in 
the Eastern world to the final establishment of Chris- 
tianity in the Western, the cross was undoubtedly one 
of the commonest and most sacred of symbolical monu- 
ments ; and, to a remarkable extent, it is still in almost 
every land where that of Calvary is unrecognized or un- 
known. Apart from any distinctions of social or intel- 
lectual superiority, or caste, color, nationality, or loca- 
tion in either hemisphere, it appears to have been the 
aboriginal possession of every people of antiquity. . . . 
The extraordinary sanctity attaching to the symbol, in 
every age and under every variety of circumstances, 
justified any expenditure incurred in its fabrication or 
embellishment ; hence the most persistent labor, the 
most consummate ingenuity, were lavished upon it. 
In Egypt, Assyria, and Britain it was emblematic of 
creative power and eternity ; in India, China, and 
Scandinavia, of heaven and immortality ; in the two 
Americas, rejuvenescence and freedom from physical 
suffering ; while in both hemispheres it was the symbol 
of the resurrection, or ' the sign of the life to come ; ' 
and, finally, in all heathen communities, without excep- 
tion, it was the emphatic type, the sole enduring evi- 
dence, of the divine unity." ^ The early explorers and 
missionaries of Mexico, Central America, and Peru, 
found numerous crosses in those countries ; and many 
are still to be seen among the ruins of their cities and 
temples.^ 
That the crosses found among all the pagan nations of 

* Edinburgh Review, July, 1870. 

2 *' Conquest of Mexico," Prescott, vol. iii. p. 368. 



56 The Sign of the Cross. 

antiquity were nothing more than the Egyptian ^* Taw,'* 
or *' Symbol of Life," a deification of the productive 
powers of nature, with different shades of signification 
attached to it by different peoples, appears certain. But 
it is a little remarkable that what was the symbol of the 
earthly life among pagans should be the symbol of the 
spiritual and heavenly life among Christians. From 
the dawn of Christianity the cross became the symbol of 
hope, an object of religious veneration ; and, in later 
times, it has also become one of the most common orna- 
ments. 

After the discovery of the true cross in the year 326- 
by St. Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, 
that monarch issued a decree forbidding the cross to be 
used thereafter in the execution of criminals. From 
that time the veneration which the Christians had shown 
it in secret from the beginning received a fresh impulse ; 
and since that auspicious day nothing is more charac- 
teristic of the followers of Christ than the veneration 
they entertain for the sacred instrument of man's re- 
demption. 

As a religious symbol, the sign of the cross is a sacra- 
mental, and the principal one in use among Christians. 
As made upon the person it is formed in three different 
ways. That in use in the early ages of the Church wa& 
small, and was made with the thumb of the right hand, 
most commonly on the forehead ; but it was also made 
on any part of the body. The constant use of the sign 
of the cross by the first Christians, and, much more, the 
fact that they were surrounded by heathens to whom 
the sacred sign would have betrayed their faith and put 
them in danger of persecution, or would have exposed 
the sign itself to mockery, rendered it necessary for 
them to make it in such a manner as not to be observed. 



The JSig7i of the Cross. 57 

Kext, there is the triple sign, made with the thumb on 
the forehead, the mouth, and the breast. At present 
this form is used more commonly by the Germans than, 
perhaps, by any other people. It is also prescribed in 
the Mass at the beginning of each of the gospels, but 
nowhere else in the liturgy. Lastly, the sign of the 
cross by excellence is that which is made by putting the 
Tight hand to the forehead, then under the breast, then 
to the left and to the right shoulder. The sign of the 
•cross shall be considered from two points of view : as 
used by the faithful in their devotions, and as employed 
in the sacred functions of religion. 

The devotion of the early Christians to the sign of the 
cross was extraordinary, and it attests the power they 
found to dwell in that sacred emblem. St. Cyprian, 
Bishop of Carthage, cries out : ** O Lord, Thou hast be- 
<iueathed to us three imperishable things : the chalice of 
Thy blood, the sign of the cross, and the example of 
Thy sufferings ! " * TertuUian bears witness to the f re- 
fluent use of the sign of the cross by the Christians of 
the second century : '*At every motion, and every step," 
he says, ^'entering in or going out, when dressing, 
bathing, going to meals, lighting the lamps, sleeping, or 
sitting, whatever we do, or whithersoever we go, we 
mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross." St. 
Basil writes : '' To make the sign of the cross over those 
who place their hope in Jesus Christ is the first and best 
known thing among us." Not to mention others, St. 
<jaudentius says : "Let the sign of the cross be contin- 
ually made on the heart, on the mouth, on the fore- 
head, at table, at the bath, in bed, coming in and going 

1 The extracts from the Fathers given in this essay are taken, for 
the most part, from " The Sign of the Cross in the Nineteenth Cen- 
tury," by Mgr. Gaume. 



58 The Sign of the Cross. 

out, in joy and sadness, sitting, standing, speaking, 
walking— in short, in all our actions. Let us make it 
on our breasts and all our members, that we may be en- 
tirely covered with this invincible armor of Christians.'^ 
The writings of the Fathers abound in similar passages ; 
but the following from St. John Chrysostom is worthy 
of the prince of Christian orators : 

*'More precious than the- universe, the cross glitters 
on the diadems of emperors. Everywhere it is present 
to my view. I find it among princes and subjects, men 
and women, virgins and married people, slaves and free- 
men. All continually trace it on the noblest part of the 
body, the forehead, where it shines like a column of 
glory. At the sacred table, it is there ; in the ordination 
of priests, it is there ; in the mystic Supper of Our 
Saviour, it is there. It is drawn on every part of the 
horizon — on the tops of houses, on public places, in in- 
habited parts and in deserts ; on roads, on mountains, 
in woods, on hills, on the sea, on the masts of ships, on 
islands, on windows, over doors, on the necks of Chris- 
tians, on beds, on garments, books, arms, and banquet 
couches, in feasts, on gold and silver vessels, on precious 
stones, on the pictures of the apartments. It is made 
over sick animals, over those possessed by the demon ; 
in war, in peace, by day, by night, in pleasant reunions 
and in penitential assemblies. It is who shall seek first 
the protection of this admirable sign. What is there 
surprising in this ? The sign of the cross is the type of 
our deliverance, the monument of the liberation of man- 
kind, the souvenir of the forbearance of Our Lord. 
When you make it, remember what has been given for 
your ransom, and you will be the slave of no one. Make 
it, then, not only with your fingers, but with your faith. 
If you thus engrave it on your forehead, no impure spirit 



The Sign of the Gross, 59 

will dare to stand before you. He sees the blade with 
which he has been wounded, the sword with which he 
has received his death-blow." 

It was with good reason that the early Christians paid 
so great reverence to the sign of the cross. They had 
learned from experience that it is the symbol of power ; 
as St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes : '* This sign is a power- 
ful protection. It is gratuitous, because of the poor ; 
easy, because of the weak ; a benefit from God, the 
standard of the faithful, the terror of demons." Armed 
with this sacred sign the martyrs went forth to battle 
with the wild beasts of the amphitheatre ; walked calmly 
to the stake to be burned ; bowed their necks to the 
sword, or exposed their bodies to the lash. They braved 
the terrors of the dungeon, or went willingly into exile. 
Even tender virgins and children defied the power of the 
tyrant, and suffered death in its most terrible forms ; 
while thousands sought the lonely deserts to practise a 
life-long penance, with no companions but the wild 
beasts, sustained and encouraged by the same never- 
failing source of supernatural strength. 

By the same sign the saints have wrought innumer- 
able miracles. It is related of St. Bernard, to mention 
no others, that he restored sight to more than thirty 
blind persons by virtue of the sign of man's redemption. 
" Such is the power of the sign of the cross," says Origen, 
* * that if we place it before our eyes, if we keep it faith- 
fully in our heart, neither concupiscence, nor voluptu- 
ousness, nor anger can resist it ; at its appearance the 
whole army of the flesh and sin takes to flight." The 
sign of the cross is also a source of knowledge. The form 
of words uttered in making it, together with the action 
that accompanies them, teaches the principal mysteries 
of religion. The words '' in the name," instead of '' the 



60 The Sign of the Cross. 

names," express the fundamental truth of the unity of 
God ; while the mention of the Father, the Son, and the 
Holy Ghost declares that in this one God there are 
three Persons, and thus teaches the mystery of the Ador- 
able Trinity. The incarnation, death, and resurrection 
of Our Saviour are recalled by the form of the cross, 
traced with the hand. No formula could be more com- 
prehensive and, at the same time, more simple. The 
sign of the cross is no less a prayer. It is an appeal ta 
Heaven, made in the name of Him who in submission to- 
the will of His Father ''humbled Himself, becoming 
obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross " ; ^ 
of Him who declared that, '* if you ask the Father any- 
thing in My name He will give it you." 2 Hence Chris- 
tians have learned to begin and end their devotions with 
the sign of the cross, to render their petitions more 
acceptable at the throne of grace. 

But especially is the sign of the cross a shield and 
safeguard against the temptations and dangers that 
threaten the life of the soul. The Fathers of the Church 
have insisted very strongly on this point, and a few ex- 
tracts will be given from their writings. And here I 
shall pause to remark that I have drawn, and shall con- 
tinue to draw, freely from the Fathers, preferring their 
own words to their ideas clothed in the language of an- 
other. Their voices, echoing down through the vista of 
ages, instruct, encourage, admonish, and at times rebuke 
us for the coldness of our devotion to the* sign which 
they cherished as a priceless inheritance. Prudentius- 
instructs the Christians of his day in these words : 
"When, at the call of sleep, you go to your chaste 
couch, make the sign of the cross on your forehead and 
heart. The cross will preserve you from all sin ; before 

I Philippians, ii. 8. 2 gt. John, xvi. 23. 



The Sign of the Cross. 61 

it -will fly the powers of darkness ; the soul, sanctified 
by this sign, cannot waver." St. Chrysostom continues 
in the same strain : '* Do you feel your heart inflamed ? 
Make the sign of the cross on your breast, and your 
anger will be dissipated like smoke." And St. Maximus 
of Turin : '' It is from the sign of the cross we must ex- 
pect the cure of all our wounds. If the yeaom of 
avarice be diffused through our veins, let us make the 
sign of the cross, and the venom will be expelled. If 
the scorpion of voluptuousness sting us, let us have re- 
course to the same means, and we shall be healed. If 
grossly terrestrial thoughts seek to defile us, let us again 
have recourse to the sign of the cross, and we shall live 
the divine life." St. Bernard adds : "Who is the man 
so completely master of his thoughts as never to have 
impure ones ? But it is necessary to repress their 
attacks immediately, that we may vanquish the enemy 
where he hoped to triumph. The infallible means of 
success is to make the sign of the cross." St. Gregory 
of Tours says : '' Whatever may be the temptations that 
oppress us, we must repulse them. For this end we- 
should make, not carelessly, but carefully, the sign of 
the cross, either on our forehead or on our breast." St, 
Gregory Nazianzen thus defied the demon : " If you dare 
to attack me at the moment of my death, beware ; for I 
shall put you shamefully to flight by the sign of the 
cross." 

At the risk of heaping up unnecessary proofs of the 
efficacy of the sign of the cross, a few more extracts, 
will be given from the Fathers. We are their successors 
in the faith and in the world : let their devotion to the 
consoling emblem of man's redemption stimulate us to 
be truly their successors in our constant and confiding- 
use of the same sacred panoply. Says St. Cyril of Jeru- 



€2 The Sign of the Cross, 

«alein : '' Let us make the sign of the cross boldly and 
^courageously. When the demons see it they are reminded 
of the Crucified ; they take to flight ; they hide them- 
:selves and leave us." Origen continues : '' Let us bear 
on our foreheads the immortal standard. The sight of 
it makes the demons tremble. They who fear not the 
gilded Capitols tremble at the sign of the cross." St. 
Augustine answers for the Western Church in these 
words: *^ It is with the symbol and sign of the cross that 
we must march to meet the enemy. Clothed with this 
armor, the Christian will easily triumph over this proud 
-and ancient tyrant. The cross is sufficient to cause all 
the machinations of the spirit of darkness to perish." 
:St. Jerome, the illustrious hermit of Bethlehem, ex- 
presses his confidence in the cross in these terms : '' Tlie 
sign of the cross is a buckler which shields us from the 
burning arrows of the demon." Finally, Lactantius re- 
marks : *' Whoever wishes to know the power of the 
^ign of the cross has only to consider how formidable it 
is to the demons. When adjured in the name of Jesus 
Christ, it forces them to leave the bodies of the pos- 
.sessed. What is there in this to wonder at ? When the 
Son of God was on earth, with one word He put the 
demons to flight, and restored peace and health to their 
unfortunate victims. To-day His disciples expel those 
same unclean spirits in the name of their Master and by 
the sign of the cross." Let this suffice, where much 
more might be said, regarding the use of the sacred 
emblem of man's redemption among Christians. Turn 
W'C now to the employment of it in the august cere- 
monies of religion. 

The sign of the cross is met with everywhere in the 
liturgy of the Church. No ceremony is performed with- 
out it. The hands of the priest are consecrated with the 



The Sign of the Cross. 6^ 

holy oil to enable them to confer blessings by the siga 
of the cross. In the course of the ceremony of ordina- 
tion the bishop anoints the interior of his hands witk 
the Oil of Catechumens, reciting at the same time the 
prayer : *' Vouchsafe, O Lord, to consecrate these hands 
by this unction and our blessing, that whatsoever they 
bless may be blessed, and whatsoever they consecrate 
may be consecrated and sanctified, in the name of Our 
Lord Jesus Christ." 

With these words is conferred on the priest such 
power over material objects, no matter what they may^ 
be, that. he can bless them by simply making the sign of 
the cross over them, without it being necessary for hint 
to utter any form of words, except, of course, in such 
cases as the Holy See requires a particular form for the 
blessing of certain things. He can, by merely making: 
the sign of the cross, confer on beads, medals, statues, 
crucifixes, etc., the Papal indulgences, so that a person 
who is rightly disposed can gain all these indulgences 
by having one of those blessed objects in his possession. 

The number of times in which the sign of the cross is. 
made in the ritual blessings of the Church is all but 
countless. In the blessing of holy water, for example,, 
it is made twelve times. All the sacraments are admin- 
istered with the use of the sign of the cross at least once,, 
while in some of them it is employed a number of times. 
In baptism it is made fourteen times ; in extreme unc- 
• tion, seventeen times. In the recitation of the Divine 
Office it is prescribed a great number of times. But 
these last crosses, unlike those of the Mass and the sacra- 
ments, are not of obligation, except when the Office is 
said in choir ; and hence they may be dispensed with 
for sufficient cause, at the discretion of the person recit- 
ing the Office. It is related of St. Patrick that while 



64 The Sign of the Cross. 

reciting the Office he signed himself almost constantly 
with the sign of the cross. 

It is superfluous to state that the sign of the cross is 
made very frequently in the adorable sacrifice of the 
Mass ; but it may not be generally known that during 
an ordinary Mass the celebrant makes it in the various 
•ceremonies no less than forty-five times, besides the little 
triple crosses, already mentioned, at the beginning of 
the gospels. There is one point, however, with regard 
to the sign of the cross made in the Mass that seems to 
call for an explanation. *' It is natural that the Church, 
accustomed to bless everything with the sign of the 
cross, should so bless the unconsecrated bread and wine. 
But it is surprising at first sight that the sign of the 
cross should frequently be made over the body and blood 
of Christ, Many explanations have been given, but the 
truth seems to be that no single explanation meets all 
difficulties, and that the sign of the cross is made over 
the consecrated species for several reasons. Usually 
the rite is made to indicate the blessing which flows 
from the body and blood of Christ." The sign of the 
cross at the words immediately preceding the Pater 
JVbster — '* Through whom, O Lord, Thou dost ever 
create all those good things, sanctifiest them, givest 
them life, blessest them, and bestowest them upon us " 
— were originally meant to be made over the eulogia, or 
blessed bread, placed on the altar and then given to 
those- who did not communicate. And here an explana-* 
tion of the eulogia may not be out of place. 

One of the great characteristics of the Church is the 
unity of its members in one body, with Christ as the 
head. This unity is admirably expressed in both the 
elements from which the Holy Eucharist is consecrated : 
bread being made from a countless number of wheat 




Almsgiving. 



See page 13. 



The Sign of the Cross. 65 

grains, and wine being pressed from myriads of grapes. 
The Blessed Sacrament is, then — both from its matter 
before consecration and from Him whose flesh and blood 
it becomes by consecration — the special bond of union 
among the faithful. As the Apostle says ; '* We being 
many are one bread." ^ ^* However, when many of the 
faithful no longer communicated as a matter of course 
at every Mass, the need was felt of showing by some 
outward sign that they were in full communion with the 
€hurch. Accordingly, the celebrant consecrated so 
much only of the bread placed on the altar as was 
needed for the communicants ; the rest was merely 
blessed, and distributed to those who did not actually 
communicate, though they had the right to do so. The 
eulogia (something blessed) then was a substitute, 
though, of course, a most imperfect one, for the Holy 
Oommunion ; whence the Greek name antidoion—^ that 
which is given instead.' The custom could scarcely 
have risen before the third century. In the fourth it 
was well known throughout the East ; in the West we 
And it mentioned by Gregory of Tours in the sixth cen- 
tury. The bread used was sometimes the same as that 
which was set aside for consecration; sometimes ordi- 
nary bread was placed on the altar, and used for the 
eulogia. Usually the latter bread was blessed after the 
Offertory ; but sometimes, as Honorius of Autun tells us, 
at the end of Mass. The Council of Nantes gives a form 
of benediction which the Church still employs in the 
blessing of the bread at Easter." Traces of this custom 
still exist in some French and Canadian churches, as 
well as among the Greeks. 

* ' The signs of the cross made with the Host in the 
Mass, immediately after those referred to above, at the 
1 1. Cor. X. ir. 



66 The Sign of the Cross. 

words, ' Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, is 
nnto Thee, God the Father Almighty in the unity of the 
Holy Ghost, all honor and glory,' probably arose from 
the custom of making the sign of the cross in naming 
the persons of the Blessed Trinity. Such, at least, is 
the result of Bishop Hefele's careful investigation of the 
subject. The mystical interpretations of Gavantus and 
Merati deserve all respect, but scarcely explain the 
actual origin of the practice." ^ To return from this di- 
gression : so frequent is the use of the sign of the cross 
in the sacred functions of religion that one can hardly 
look for a moment at a priest performing any of the 
sacred ceremonies of his ministry without seeing him 
make the sign of our redemption. 

A very important inquiry for all here presents itself. 
It is : Has the Church granted any indulgences to the 
use of the sign of the cross ? and, if so, what are they ? 
They are these : Pope Pius IX. , by a brief of July 28, 
1863, granted to all the faithful every time that with at 
least contrite heart they shall make the sign of the cross, 
invoking at the same time the Blessed Trinity with the 
words, ^' In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost, '* an indulgence of fifty days. And 
by another brief of March 23, 1876, the same Sovereign 
Pontiff granted an indulgence of one hundred days to 
those who make the sign of the cross with holy water, 
with the same conditions and the same form of words. ^ 
It is well to note that the words to be used in making 
the sign of the cross with holy water are not, ** Glory be 
to the Father," etc., as some persons imagine, but the 
formula, '' In the name," etc. 

When we are assured by the Christians of all ages, but 
especially by those of the first centuries, that we have 

^ '* Catholic Dictionary," pp. 236, 322, 323. « Raccolta, p. 4. 



The Sign of the Cross. 67 

so powerful a weapon as the sign of the cross at our 
command, it is much to be regretted that we should 
make so little use of it. Never did the world array be- 
fore the child of God enemies so numerous or so insidi- 
ous as at the present time. They assail him on every 
side ; and not with the sword or with fire, but with false 
philosophy, with pride of intellect, with religious indif- 
ference, with materialism ; against which it is more 
difficult to combat for a lifetime than it would be to gain 
the martyr's crown in a momentary struggle in the 
amphitheatre. If the first Christians, trained in the 
school of the apostles and their immediate successors, 
regarded as necessary the frequent use of the sign of the 
cross, why should we all but abandon it? Are we 
stronger than they ? Is not the very opposite the truth ? 
Why, then, do we not return to the pious custom of our 
fathers in the faith ? Why disarm ourselves in the very 
presence of the enemy ? 

Still more deserving of censure are those who indeed 
make the sign of the cross, but make it carelessly. If a 
person were to stand fifteen minutes at the door of al- 
most any of our churches on a Sunday morning, and 
look at the motions gone through by not a few of those 
who enter, he would be safe in concluding that if they 
were reproduced on paper they might as readily be taken 
for a Chinese manuscript as for anything else ; but it 
w^ould require a stretch of the imagination to see in 
many of them what they were intended to represent. It 
may be seriously doubted w^hether such careless persons 
receive the graces or gain the indulgences attached to a 
proper use of this sacred sign. It is indeed true that 
there is a tendency to do mfichanically what a person 
has to do often : but for that very reason, if for no 
other, particular attention should be bestowed on such 



68 The Sign of the Cross, 

things. A careful examination of the manner in which 
they make the sign of the cross would be productive of 
good to many persons. 

But what shall be said of those who are ashamed to 
make the sign of the cross ? "We should not, on the one 
hand, parade what is sacred unnecessarily before the 
world, on account of the disposition there is in so many 
persons to scoff at whatever others regard as holy ; but^ 
when circumstances require it, we should not, on the 
other hand, hesitate to sign ourselves with the symbol 
of man's redemption. The sign of the cross inspires us 
with respect for ourselves by teaching ns our true dig- 
nity. It reminds us that we are the brothers of Jesus 
Christ. It sanctifies our members with the sanctification 
which it derived from His. It stamps the unity of God 
on our forehead, the seat of the mind ; it seals our heart 
and breast with the remembrance of the love of the 
Father ; it strengthens our shoulders to bear the cross 
of the Son ; and it maintains an unbroken union of love 
with the three Divine Persons by means of the Holy 
Ghost. 

'*In making the sign of the cross," says Mgr. Gaume, 
**we have behind us, around us, with us, all the great 
men and grand ages of the East and West — all the im- 
mortal Catholic nation. ... In making the sign of the 
cross we cover ourselves and creatures with an invinci- 
ble armor. In not making it we disarm ourselves, and 
expose both ourselves and creatures to the gravest 
perils." ^ 

All this being true, what opinion are we to form of 
non-Catholics, not a few of whom have an almost fiend- 
ish hatred of the sign of the cross ? Yet, were they to 
use it, it would be the marking upon themselves of the 

* "The Sign of the Cross in the Nineteenth Century," p. 296. 



The Sign oj the Cross. 69 

instrument upon which the salvation of mankind, and 
their own, if they are to be saved, was wrought. And, 
withal, how illogical they are ! Witness with what re- 
spect the Liberty Bell is cherished, and how it was 
almost worshipped during its recent trip to New Orleans. 
Witness the care with which the relics of Liberty Hall, 
Philadelphia, are guarded. Witness the enthusiasm of 
the people to have some souvenir of the place w^here the 
late General Grant died ; how people went so far as to 
carry away branches of the trees that grew near the 
cottage in which he breathed his last. Witness, finally^ 
how almost every person has some highly-prized relic of 
a departed parent or ancestor. And why all this ? Be- 
cause it is natural to man, and because it is ennobling in 
him, although his enthusiasm frequently carries it to 
excess. Must Catholics, then, be maligned and called 
idolators for following the promptings of nature in the 
worship of nature's God ? Must we be asked to honor 
the sword of George Washington because it achieved our 
liberation from the tyranny of England, and then cen- 
sured for venerating the cross of Jesus Christ that freed 
us from the thraldom of Satan ? The man who should 
be so heartless as to insult his mother's picture would be 
justly censured by all the world as an inhuman wretch. 
Let the same world decide whether he is less deserving 
of censure — to put it in a very mild form — who insults- 
the cross of Christ. Of such so-called Christians let St. 
Paul be the judge, who cried out : '^ God forbid that I 
should glory, save in the cross of Our Lord Jesus- 
Christ ! " ^ 

I shall conclude with two extracts from the Fathers. 
Says St. Ephraim : "The sign of the cross is the invin- 
cible armor of the Christian. Soldier of Christ, let this. 

1 Gal. Ti. 14. 



70 The Sign of the Cross. 

armor never leave you, either by day or by night, at any 
moment, or in any place ; without it undertake nothing. 
TVhether you be asleep or awake, watching or walking, 
eating or drinking, sailing on sea or crossing rivers, 
have this breastplate ever on you. Adorn and protect 
each of your members with this victorious sign, and 
nothing can injure you. There is no buckler so power- 
ful against the darts of the enemy. At the sign of this 
the infernal powers, affrighted and trembling, take to 
flight." And St. John Chrysostom adds : '' Nevey leave 
your house without making the sign of the cross. It will 
be to you a staff, a weapon, an impregnable fortress. 
Neither man nor demon will dare to attack you, seeing 
you covered with such powerful armor. Let this sign 
teach you that you are a soldier, ready to combat against 
the demons, and ready to fight for the crown of justice. 
Are you ignorant of what the cross has done ? It has 
vanquished death, destroyed sin, emptied hell, dethroned 
Satan, and resuscitated the universe. Would you, then, 
doubt its power ? " 



The Stations or Way of the Cross. 71 



yi.— THE STATIONS OE WAY OF THE CROSS. 

The times chauge, and we change in them ; and one 
of the saddest of these changes is that which makes us 
averse to the practice of corporal mortification, on the 
one hand, and, on the other, prompts too many among 
lis to harmonize with the pernicious principle of Protes- 
tantism by desiring to take the interpretation of the 
laws of the Church as of all other law into our own 
hands. Yet, notwithstanding this, our Holy Mother 
the Church tempers her laws as far as possible to the 
weakness of her children, and instead of exacting the 
rigorous penances of former ages, to which we are 
almost entire strangers, permits us to satisfy for tem- 
poral punishment on the easier condition of gaining 
indulgences. Not only so, but she mitigates the con- 
ditions of many of these from time to time, so much so 
that she would almost appear to have lost sight of her 
former rigorous discipline. While this should humble 
us, by reminding us that we lack the masculine energy 
of the Christians of other days, it should also be a strong 
inducement for us to gain as many indulgences as possi- 
ble. It is easier to gain indulgences here than it will be 
to burn in purgatory hereafter. 

The Way of the Cross is a devotional exercise, which,, 
while most profitable in itself, is also more liberally en- 
riched with indulgences than any other in the entire 
range of approved devotions. It is called, indiscrim- 
inately, " The Way of the Cross " and '' The Stations of 
the Cross; " and, although the former is the more correct, 
both are perfectly intelligible to Christians. How noble 



72 The stations or Way of the Cross, 

the origin of this holy exercise ! Jesus Christ it was 
who first performed the devout exercise of the Way of 
the Cross, carrying the instrument of man's redemption 
on His mangled and bleeding shoulders, and marking 
each step of the painful journey with His most precious 
blood — blood which the thoughtless crowd trod ruth- 
lessly into the dust and mire, regardless of its infinite 
value and of the myriads of angels who bent before its 
€very drop in profoundest adoration. Nothing need be 
said here of this first Way of the Cross ; it is indelibly 
engraven on the minds and hearts of all reflecting Chris- 
tians. But let us ask, To whom do we owe the exercise 
of the Stations of the Cross ? This beautiful and in- 
spiring devotion is due, beyond all doubt, to none other 
than the august Mother of God, the Queen of martyrs. 
Prom the moment the Archangel Gabriel saluted Mary 
as the Mother of the long-expected Messias, she knew, 
both from the Scriptures of the Old Testament, which 
doubtless she had read and heard explained during her 
stay in the temple, and also from her more than seraphic 
contemplation of the mission of the Man of sorrows, 
that His Mother must of necessity be the Dolorous 
Mother. But after the presentation of her divine Infant 
in the temple, when holy Simeon foretold that her Child 
was set for the ruin as well as for the redemption of 
many in Israel, and for a sign that should be contra- 
dicted, and that a sword of sorrow should pierce her 
own soul on account of Him, the sorrowful way was 
ever present to her mind. Whether an exile in distant 
and inhospitable Egypt, or at home in her quiet retreat 
at Nazareth, or accompanying her divine Son during 
His public ministry, this sorrowful way was never lost 
sight of. But when it came to be made in the reality, 
it far exceeded all ideas of it that even the mind of 



The Stations or Way of the Cross, 7B 

Mary was capable of forming. And once past, it could 
not be forgotten. The different places that marked the 
more than common sufferings of her Son and her God 
were indelibly engraven on her memory ; and when His 
mission on earth was accomplished she would visit 
these sad scenes either alone or accompanied by other 
holy women, and there devoutly meditate on the love of 
God for man. It was thus she became the founder of 
one of the most fruitful devotions of holy Church. 

Of the stations some are referred to in the Sacred 
Scriptures, as the first, second, fifth, etc.; while the 
others have been handed down by the constant tradition 
of the Church, as the third, fourth, seventh, etc. The 
number of the stations, although generally fourteen or 
fifteen, was not at first authoritatively fixed ; and we 
learn from a statute of the Archdiocese of Vienna, as 
late as February 25, 1799, that the number of stations 
there was but eleven.^ .This, however, must have been 
a local custom, approved by the proper ecclesiastical 
authority ; for according to the rules laid down by Pope 
Clement XII., April 3, 1731, the number of the stations 
was fixed for all future time at fourteen. It may be 
remarked, as is learned from the same decree, that 
little chapels were sometimes erected for the stations 
when they were set up outside the church. 

No better idea of the high character and inestimable 
value of the Way of the Cross can be conveyed to the 
mind of the reader than that contained in the following 
quotation from the Haccolta (pp. 102, 103): "Among 
the devotional exercises which have for their object 
meditation on the Passion, Cross, and Death of Our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the sovereign means for 
the conversion of sinners, for the renovation of the 
* *'Kirchen-Lexicon," vol. vi. p. 274. 



74 The Stations or Way of the Cross, 

tepid, and for the sanctifieation of the just, one of the 
chief has ever been the exercise of the Way of the Cross. 
This devotion, continued in an unbroken tradition from 
the time Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, arose first 
in Jerusalem, amongst the Christians who dwelt there, 
out of veneration for those sacred spots which were 
sanctified by the sufferings of our divine Redeemer. 
From that time, as we learn from St. Jerome, Christians 
were wont to visit the holy places in crowds ; and the 
gathering of the faithful, he says, even from the far- 
thest corners of the earth, to visit the holy places, con- 
tinued to his own time. From Jerusalem this devout 
exercise began to be introduced into Europe by various 
pious and holy persons who had travelled to the Holy 
Land to satisfy their devotion. Amongst others, we 
read of the Blessed Alvarez, of the Order of Friar 
Preachers, who, after he returned to his own convent of 
St. Dominic, in Cordova, built some little chapels, in 
which he represented, station by station, the principal 
events which took place on Our Lord's way to Mount 
Calvary. Afterward, more formally, the Fathers Min- 
orite Observants of the Order of St. Francis, as soon as 
ever, on the foundation of their Order, they were intro- 
duced into the Holy Land, and more especially from the 
time when, in the year 1342, they had their house in 
Jerusalem, and the custody of the sacred places, began, 
both in Italy and elsewhere, in short, throughout the 
whole Catholic world, to spread the devotion of the 
Way of the Cross. This they effected by erecting, in 
all their own churches, fourteen separate stations, in 
visiting which the faithful, like the devout pilgrims who 
go to visit the holy places in Jerusalem, do themselves 
also make this journey in spirit, whilst they meditate on 
all that Our Lord Jesus Christ vouchsafed to suffer for 



The Stations or Way of the Cross. 75 

our eternal salvation at those holy places in the last 
hours of His life. This excellent devotion has met with 
the repeated approvals of holy Church : in the consti- 
tutions, for instance, of the venerable Pontiff Innocent 
XI. . . . and of Clement XII. By this last Pope it was 
extended to the whole world." This extension was 
made by his constitution Exponi Nobis ^ of January 16, 
1731. 

The reader may form an idea of the zeal with which 
some saintly missionaries have labored for the propaga- 
tion of this devotion — which is at the same time the 
strongest evidence of the value they set upon it — from 
the single instance of St. Leonard of Port Maurice, wha 
erected no less than five hundred and seventy-two sets 
of stations. It was he, too, who induced Pope Benedict 
XIV. to have them erected in the Colosseum at Rome, 
the spot which had been so frequently bedewed with the 
blood of martyrs ; and the saint himself preached on 
the occasion. It was here that Archbishop Hughes, of 
New York, during one of his visits to the Holy City, 
performed the Way of the Cross, accompanied by five 
thousand people. 

One of the first questions that will present itself to the 
minds of those who read this essay will be : What are 
the indulgences granted by the Holy See to the devout 
performance of the Way of the Cross ? Here something^ 
extraordinary confronts us : it is that no preacher or 
catechist is permitted to state from the pulpit or in 
WTiting what precisely are the indulgences gained by 
the performance of the Way of the Cross !^ *' One of 
the reasons for this may have been the loss of many of 
th© ancient briefs by which the Holy See had applied 
several rich indulgences to that pious practice, and 

^ Raccolta, p. 104. 



76 Tlie Stations or Way of the Cross. 

which, it is said, Were destroyed at Jerusalem on the 
occasion of the burning of the archives belonging to the 
Franciscan Friars there. The instructions, however, 
assign a different reason. For in the rule referred to, 
it is expressly stated as having been ascertained, on 
more occasions than one, that, either through malice, 
negligence, or excessive zeal, the truth of the indul- 
gences had been so altered as to render them altogether 
obscure and uncertain. " ^ It is only permitted, and it 
is sufficient, to state in general terms that whoever per- 
forms devoutly the holy Way of the Cross will gain the 
same indulgences as he would if he were to visit the 
actual Way of the Cross in Jerusalem.^ What some at 
least of these indulgences are may be learned from 
Father Yitromile's '* Travels in Europe and the Holy 
Land." All the indulgences granted to the Way of the 
Cross may be gained by those who perform the devotion, 
either in public or in private, by day or by night (D. 
March 1, 1819). They can also be applied to the souls 
in purgatory. Father Maurel states (p. 147) that, 
* ' should a person perform the Way of the Cross re- 
peatedly on the same day, he can gain the indulgences 
each time." This has been modified, however, by a 
more recent decree, and it cannot now be maintained. 
The question having been put to the Sacred Congrega- 
tion, the response was, that: '* From the documents in 
the possession of the Congregation it is not certain {noii 
constat) that a person will gain the indulgences as often 
as he performs the holy exercise " (D. September 10, 
1883). 

^ Maurel on Indulgences, pp. 144, 145. 

2 Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences and Holy Rel- 
ics, April 13, 1731. In the rest of this essay the decrees of this Con- 
gregation, which will frequently be quoted, will be given in the text 
as "D," with date. 



The Stations or Way of the Cross. 77 

It is needless to state that, in order to gain these in- 
dulgences, whether a person performs the devotion in 
public or in private, he must strictly comply with all 
the conditions prescribed by the Holy See. These con- 
ditions may be divided into (1) such as refer to the 
stations themselves ; (2) such as refer to the person who 
erects them ; and (3) such as refer to the person or per- 
sons performing the holy Way of the Cross. And Urst 
as to the stations themselves. The stations may be 
erected either inside or outside the church or chapel ; 
but when erected outside they should either begin: or 
end in the church or in some other holy place ; the 
place they occupy should be properly guarded against 
profanation, and there should also be a set of stations 
in the church to be used in inclement weather (D. April 
3, 1731). The indulgences are attached to the crosses 
only which surmount the pictures or reliefs representing 
the various scenes in the sorrowful journey of our 
divine Redeemer. Hence the pictures or reliefs need 
not be blessed (D. January 30, 1839) ; but they may be 
blessed.^ If the pictures become defaced, or if it is 
-desirable to change them for others, and the first 
crosses are retained, it is not necessary to bless the 
latter anew ; they are simply to be placed over the new 
pictures or reliefs, and the indulgences are not lost (D. 
August 22, 1842). But it is carefully to be borne in 
mind that the crosses must, under penalty of forfeiting 
all the indulgences, be of wood, in the strict acceptation 
of the word, and must be large enough and so placed as 
to be visible to the people (DD. June 2, 1838, and Novem- 
ber 23, 1878). Nor should the crosses have the image 
of our divine Saviour upon them.'^ If the stations are 
taken from the church or place in which they were first 

1 Maurel, p. 148. « Ibid., p. 149. 



78 The Stations or Way of the Cross. 

erected, and placed in another location, with the inten- 
tion that it shall be in future their permanent place, 
they lose the indulgences, and require a new erection 
(D. January 30, 1839). But if they are only taken out 
of the church or place for a time, in order that the 
church may be repaired or frescoed, and are then re- 
stored to their places, the indulgences are not lost and 
no new erection is necessary. The same is true if they 
are arranged differently in the same church or place. 
But a person who performs the Way of the Cross before 
the places where the stations were before their removal, 
or who performs it before the stations in the place to- 
which they are temporarily removed, will not gain the 
indulgences (D. December 16, 1760). From all this we 
are to understand that when the stations are erected in 
a certain place, it is in that place only that the indul- 
gences can be gained before them. 

It must have struck persons who are accustomed ta 
perform the Way of the Cross in different churches that 
the stations do not always begin on the same side of the 
altar. In one they will be found to start on the Gospel 
side, in another on the Epistle side. Indeed, it would 
appear to be left rather to the caprice of the artist, if 
such he can always be called, who paints the stations 
than to any legislative enactment of the Church to de- 
termine the direction in which the Way of the Cross is 
to be made. There is no positive enactment in the 
matter ; and so far as the indulgences are concerned, it 
is perfectly indifferent whether they begin on the one 
side of the altar or the other. Maurel says (p. 150) 
that ** general usage, grounded on the basis of piety 
and congruity, would have the first station commence 
on the Gospel side of the church. But this arrangement 



The Stations or Way of the Cross. 79 

is not strictly required." And be quotes a decree of 
March 13, 1837. 

Next, as regards the conditions to be observed by the 
person who erects the stations, few remarks need be 
made, because it will naturally be taken for granted 
that the essential conditions have been complied with. 
It may not, however, be amiss to venture the following 
observations. By erecting the Stations or Way of the 
Cross is meant the blessing and placing of them in the 
position they are destined afterwards to occupy, and 
doing so in such a manner and by such authority that 
persons performing the exercise of the Way of the Cross 
before them, with the proper dispositions, will gain all 
the indulgences granted by the Holy See to this salutary 
devotion. It is not necessary that there should be a 
fixed or an equal distance between the different stations, 
much less that they should be as far apart as the sta- 
tions of the way of Calvary in Jerusalem (D. December 
8, 1736). But yet there must be some distance between 
them (D. August 28, 1752). 

According to the rules for the erecting of the stations, 
the privilege was reserved to the Minor Observantine 
Fathers, under penalty of forfeiting the indulgences ; 
and others who wanted the stations erected were re- 
quired to have the ceremony performed by one of these 
fathers, or obtain the privilege from the Superior-Gen- 
eral of that Order (D. April 3, 1731). But many bishops 
have now received the faculty from the Holy See, not 
only of erecting the stations themselves, but also of 
delegating such of their priests to perform the same 
function as they see fit. As regards the validity of the 
erection, it is not necessary that the priest who performs 
the ceremony should personally set up the different 



80 The Stations or Way of the Cross. 

stations. He can employ another, even a laic, to do 
this (D. March 20, 1846); or he may himself place them 
privately on an occasion different from that of their 
blessing, and without any ceremony (DD. August 22^ 
1842, March 20, 1846). By a decree of September 25, 
1841, it was made obligatory that the request for facul- 
ties, or permission, to erect the stations in a church or 
other place, the granting of the request, and all the 
papers relating to the erection, should be in writing, 
and should be kept in the diocesan archives, and that 
at least a brief account of the whole proceeding should 
also be kept in the church itself; and all this under pain 
of nullity as regards the gaining of the indulgences. 
These documents, too, were to be executed with as little 
delay as possible, lest a doubt might afterwards arise 
regarding the validity of the erection; although it was 
not required, as some persons imagined, that this should 
be done within twenty-four hours (D. February 10, 
1844). Maurel is of opinion that this was not required 
under the penalty of forfeiting the indulgences, and 
says (p. 151): *' Looking at the decisions issued by the 
Sacred Congregation, January 27, 1838, it does not 
appear that these different formalities are exacted under 
pain of nullity. This may be inferred from the very 
words which I took at the Segretaria of the Sacred Con- 
gregation of Indulgences." This decree is not found in 
the Decrees of this Congregation lately published by 
order of the Holy Father. But a later decree (June 21, 
1879) requires the written permission of the bishop for 
each case under pain of nullity. And Schneider (p, 
269) makes no reference to the above remarks of Maurel, 
although translating and editing his work; and since 
he wrote after the date of the last decree, and yet in- 
sists upon all that is contained in the former one, he 



The Stations or Way of the Cross. 81 

seems clearly to be of the opinion that all these condi- 
tions are required by the Holy See. From other authori- 
ties and the present practice there remains no doubt in 
the matter. 

With regard to those who perform the devout exer- 
cise of the Way of the Cross, they may be divided into 
three classes : those who perform it in public with a 
leader; those who perform it in private ; and those 
who, through infirmity or for any other sufficient 
reason, are not able to make the Stations in the church, 
but use a crucifix, blessed for that purpose, at home* 
The conditions for gaining the indulgences are but two 
in number: First, to go from one station to another 
around the entire fourteen, without omitting any. 
*' Hence it is necessary to rise at each station, change 
one's place, and go from one to another, unless a 
person be prevented from doing so by reason of some 
infirmity, the narrowness of the place, or a crowd of 
people ; because, in that case, it would be enough to 
make some slight movement, and turn toward the 
following station. By this pious exercise the faithful 
reproduce, on a small scale, the pilgrimage of the Way 
of the Cross of Jerusalem. But bear in mind that 
wherever it is impossible to pass from one station to 
another the decrees invariably require some motion of 
the body" (DD. September 30, 1837, February • 26, 
1841). Again: ^^When the devotion is gone through 
publicly, to avoid all confusion, it is permitted by a 
decree dated July 23, 1757, to adopt the method 
observed by St. Leonard of Port Maurice : ' that all 
the people remain in their respective places, while the 
priest, accompanied by two chanters, goes around the 
different stations, and, stopping before each of them, 
recites there the usual prayers, to which the faithful 



82 The Stations or Way of the Cross. 

answer in their turn.'"^ No vocal prayers are re- 
quired to be said as a condition for gaining the indul- 
gences, when the Stations are performed either in 
public or in private, except by those who constitute the 
third class named above ; and of those further on. 
Says the Raccolta (p. 104) : '' The recitation at each of 
the stations of the words : * We adore Thee, Christ,' 
€tc., the ' Our Father,' the * Hail Mary,' and the ' Have 
mercy on ns, O Lord,' is nothing more than a pious and 
praiseworthy custom, introduced by devout persons in 
the devotion of the Way of the Cross. This the Sacred 
Congregation of Indulgences declared in the Instruc- 
tions for performing the exercise of the Way of the 
Cross, Nos. vi. and xi., published by the order and with 
the approbation of Clement XII. (April 3, 17B1) and 
Benedict XIY. (May 10, 1742)." 

The second condition for gaining the indulgences of 
the stations is contained in these words of the Raccolta 
(p. 103) : *'A11 who wish to gain the indulgences by 
means of this devotion must bear in mind that it is in- 
dispensably required of them to meditate, according to 
their ability, on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ." 
* ' Mind, it does not lay down that a special meditation 
ought to be made on each of the fourteen stations. It 
suffices to meditate on the Passion in general, for 
nowhere in the Constitutions of the Holy See is it en- 
joined to meditate on each individually. True, the 
Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, having been con- 
sulted on the matter, replied that one should meditate 
on the mysteries represented by the fourteen stations 
(February 16, 1839). But at Rome this declaration is 
regarded as a counsel, and not as an essential condition 
for sharing in the indulgences, especially since the 

^ Maurel, pp. 144, 145. 



The Stations oi^ Way of the Cross. 85 

same decree, l^o, 3, even expressly states that a short 
meditation on the Passion of Our Lord is what is pre- 
scribed for participating in these favors. I give the 
very words of the Instruction : * Any short meditation 
on Our Saviour's Passion suffices, which is the work 
enjoined for obtaining the holy indulgences ' (D. April 
3, 1731). Persons not knowing how to meditate may 
content themselves with pious thoughts on some circum- 
stances of the Passion, according to their capacities. . . . 
Confession and Communion are not required ; it is 
enough to be in the state of grace, and to have a sin- 
cere sorrow for one's sins." ^ 

Another important inquiry is that regarding the in- 
terruptions that are or are not permitted those who per- 
form this devotion. The rule which applies here is 
similar to that which obtains in the case of any other 
devotion, such as the Rosary ; that is, that a person 
who should interrupt the Way of the Cross to hear 
Mass, go to Holy Communion, confession, etc., would 
not lose the indulgences, provided there was not a nota- 
ble or moral interruption (D. December 16, 1760). 

The second class of persons, or those who perform 
the Stations in private in the church, are not required 
to fulfil any other conditions than those imposed on 
the first class, except that they must pass from one 
station to another. They should not perform them 
during Mass or Vespers, nor when any other public de- 
votion is going on in the church (D. April 3, 1731). 

As to the third class, the infirm and others hindered 
from performing the Way of the Cross before stations 
erected in a church or chapel, the Church, in her ma- 
ternal solicitude for their spiritual welfare, is unwilling 
to deprive them, through no fault of theirs, of the ad- 

^ Maurel, pp. 145, 146. 



84 The Stations or Way of the Cross, 

vantages of this devotion. Accordingly, Pope Clement 
Xiy. (D. January 26, 1773) granted the following privi- 
leges to such persons, which were confirmed by Pius IX. 
(D. August 8, 1859) : *' All who are sick, all who are in 
prison, or at sea, or in heathen lands, or are prevented 
in any other way from visiting the Stations of the "Way 
of the Cross erected in churches or public oratories, may 
gain these indulgences by saying, with at least contrite 
heart and devotion, the ' Our Father,' the * Hail Mary,' 
and the * Glory be to the Father,' each fourteen times, 
and, at the end of these, the *Our Father,' the * Hail 
Mary,' and the * Glory be to the Father,' each five 
times ; and, again, one ' Our Father,' ' Hail Mary,' and 
* Glory be to the Father ' for the Sovereign Pontiff, 
holding in their hands the while a crucifix of brass, or 
of any other solid substance, which has been blessed by 
the Father General of the Order of the Friars Minor 
Observants, or else by the Father Provincial, or by any 
Father Guardian subject to said Father General." ^ It 
may be added that any other priest can be, and fre- 
quently is, authorized to bless such crucifixes. As to 
the reasons that would be deemed sufficient to justify 
a person in performing the Way of the Cross with one 
of these crucifixes, *' a moral impossibility suffices. . . . 
Thus a person on a journey, or in the country, at a con- 
siderable distance from the parish church, may be con- 
stituted in a moral impossibility of visiting the Stations. 
So, too, as regards a priest or religious who, on account 
of his multiplied duties, or for other grave reasons, is 
unable to visit a church to go through the Stations. 
Accordingly, all such persons may perform the Stations 
privately by means of the crucifijc. It may be well to 
note that the person possessing the crucifix indulgenced 

* Raccolta, p. 104. 




See page 71. 



The Stations or Way of the Cross, 85 

for the Way of the Cross can alone gain the indulgence : 
the privilege is personal (D. May 29, 1841). Again, 
conformably to recent decrees, the crucifix can never be 
sold, or given avray, or lent to others with the inten- 
tion of communicating to them the indulgences. 
Though, strictly speaking, all crucifixes, no matter how 
diminutive, can be blessed for this end, it would not be 
becoming to apply the indulgences to very small ones, 
which would scarcely be visible in the hands of those 
using them. In fine, recollect that, pursuant to the late 
decree quoted above, the twenty * Our Fathers ' and ' Hail 
Marys,' and 'Glory be to the Fathers' should be said 
without, at least, any notable interruption which might 
break the moral connection or unity of the prayer." ^ 

I may remark that I have seen small pictures of the 
fourteen stations so joined together as to fold up, but 
which had no crosses whatever surmounting them ; yet 
the persons having them believed they could gain the 
indulgences of the Way of the Cross by using them. 
This is certainly erroneous, inasmuch as the decrees 
above cited require, in all cases, the cross or crosses — 
fourteen of wood when the stations are erected in a 
church or chapel, and one of brass or some other solid 
material when blessed for the use of the infirm or of 
such as are hindered from performing the devotion be- 
fore duly erected stations. It is never to be forgotten 
that in matters relating to indulgences we must in all 
cases conform strictly to the conditions laid down by the 
Holy See in granting them ; for nothing is left to our 
free choice. Part may be, and is, sometimes, left to the 
discretion of our spiritual director, but not to our dis- 
cretion. 

1 Maurel, pp. 153, 154. 



S6 The Holy Oils. 



YII.— THE HOLY OILS. 

After the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, the 
Church possesses nothing more sacred than the Holy 
Oils used in the administration of certain of the sacra- 
ments and in certain other functions of religion. It 
must, therefore, prove interesting and instructive to 
treat of the Holy Oils ; for whether they are used in 
elevating a bishop or a priest to his sacred dignity, in 
consecrating an altar, a chalice, or a bell, or in blessing 
a baptismal font, they always conduce either directly or 
indirectly to the spiritual benefit of the individual 
Christian. Yet here, as with regard to the Missal, the 
Eitual, and the Breviary, the opportunities afforded the 
people for obtaining full and accurate information are 
limited. 

It is to be remarked that wherever the word oil is used 
in the Sacred Scriptures, the Fathers, or the liturgy of 
the Church, olive oil is meant. It is pre-eminently oil. 
The olive and the cedar were the most important trees 
of the East ; and the inhabitants of those countries being 
an imaginative people, both of these trees were exten- 
sively used in supplying writers and speakers with rhe- 
torical figures. A glance at the Scriptures will be suffi- 
cient to establish this fact. The latter tree was the 
symbol of majesty and strength ; the former, of fecund- 
ity, utility, beauty, and perennial life.^ The first sym- 
bolical use of the olive in sacred history was that of the 
branch brought to Noe by the dove, as the emblem of 
peace, after the waters of the deluge had subsided ; and 

1 Psalms, li. 10; cxxvii. 3 ; Osee, xiv. 7. 



The Holy Oils, 87 

from that time the olive-branch has been regarded in 
art and literature as the emblem of peace, as the palm 
has been of victory. The time of pressing oil as well as 
wine was a season of festivity among the Orientals. 

The natural uses of oil, in contradistinction to its 
mystical uses, are : for food, for light, for medicine, 
and for anointing, with a view of increasing beauty or 
strength. Of the first three uses nothing need be said ; 
they are known and admitted by all ; the last named, 
too, is almost as well known. Not only those who 
wished to improve their appearance used oil upon their 
hair, to which Our Saviour alludes when He says, 
*' When thou fastest, anoint thy head," but the athletes 
of classic times anointed their bodies to strengthen them 
for the contests in which they were to engage. In the 
mystic sense, oil is the symbol of grace and charity, of 
mercy and alms, of spiritual consolation and joy.^ But 
how, it may be asked, did oil come to have a mystic 
signification ? And the answer to this question is the 
more important and necessary as we live in a material 
age, when all things are judged by the testimony of 
the senses. We of this age, and especially of the West- 
ern World, are not naturally so imaginative as the 
Orientals, and, as a consequence, the mystic significa- 
tion of anything will not be so likely to impress us, even 
if brought to our notice, as it would them ; while we 
would seldom dream of seeking a mystic signification, 
although it would be their first study. It was natural 
for the early Christians to attach symbolical meanings 
to many of the sacred functions of religion, and this for 
three reasons. In the first place, it was in harmony with 
the genius of the people themselves ; again, it was 
taught them by the example of those of the Jewish Dis- 
* Cornelius h, Lapide, vol. vi. p. 117. 



88 The Holy Oils, 

pensation whom they regarded as their fathers both in 
the flesh and in the faith ; and, finally, it was in a meas- 
ure necessary, since they worshipped an invisible God, 
in whose service they were constrained to make use of 
visible creatures to aid them in giving expression to their 
faith and devotion. They recognized the work of the 
hand of God in the visible world, and learned from it to 
make use of that creation to express their homage and 
to solicit His aid. The Church, then, adopted mystic 
significations both on account of their appropriateness 
and from necessity ; and she could not have found in all 
creation anything better calculated than oil, by its 
nature and its various uses, to become a symbolical ex- 
ponent of her feelings and desires. 

The first person who used oil in the worship of God of 
which any record is preserved was Jacob, who, when he 
was fleeing into Mesopotamia from his brother Esau, as 
related in the 29th chapter of the Book of Genesis, slept 
one night in the open air, and was favored by God with 
the vision of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, 
upon which angels were ascending and descending, 
while the Almighty rested on the top. Filled with a 
holy fear, on awakening he set up the stone upon which 
his head had rested during the night, and poured oil 
upon it as a memorial of the vision with which he had 
been favored. 

When the Mosaic law was promulgated, the use of oil 
was prescribed for the fourfold purpose of anointing 
priests, prophets, and kings, and the sacred vessels and 
vestments used in the service of religion. The 29th 
chapter of the Book of Exodus prescribes the manner in 
which Aaron and his sons, their vestments, the altar of 
incense and holocausts, and the sacred vessels were to 
be consecrated. Numerous passages of the Old Tes- 



The Holy Oils, 89 

tament show that oil was used in the consecration of 
kings, who were commonly said to be *' anointed '^ kings. 
And that it was used in setting aside persons for the 
prophetic office is seen from III. Kings, xix. 16, not to 
mention other passages. 

The only places in which the use of oil for religious 
purposes is mentioned in the New Testament are in the 
Gospel of St. Mark and the Epistle of St. James. The 
former relates how Our Saviour sent His apostles two 
and two throughout Judea and Galilee to teach the 
people and to heal the sick ; and it is said of them that 
they *' anointed with oil many that were sick, and 
healed them." This anointing was not, however, the 
administration of a sacrament, both because the sacra- 
ments were not as yet instituted, and also because the 
apostles were not then priests, and priests only can ad- 
minister the sacrament of Extreme Unction; but, as the 
Council of Trent ^ teaches, the ceremony performed by 
them foreshadowed that sacrament. The reference to 
oil in the administration of the sacrament of Extreme 
Unction made by St. James (v. 14) is the only one found 
in the Scriptures of its use in connection with the ritual 
of the New Law. 

It is not the intention to enter in this place into an 
inquiry as to the early use of oil in the various rites and 
sacraments in which it is now employed, nor when or 
how it came to be so used, but rather to take it as we 
find it, and, after speaking of the way in which it is 
consecrated and kept, to treat of its present uses, and 
the lessons they are calculated to teach us. 

Three kinds of oil are used in the ritual of the Church; 
or, to speak more correctly, there is only one kind, but 
it is blessed for three different purposes, and is called in 
^ Session xiv., chapter i., de Extrema Unctione, 



90 The Holy Oils. 

the language of the Church by three different names: 
the Oil of Catechumens, Holy Chrism, and the Oil of the 
Sick. The first of these, which is simply olive oil, derives 
its name from its being used principally in the ceremony 
of baptism to anoint the catechumens — that is, those who 
are undergoing instruction preparatory to being baptized 
— before the infusion of water changes them from cate- 
chumens to Christians. The second is composed of a mix- 
ture of olive oil and balsam, or balm, and derives its 
name from its being used to anoint ; chrism being derived 
fix)m the Greek w^ord chrisma^ which means anything 
smeared or spread on. Mystically it signifies the fulness 
of grace; and our divine Saviour, being anointed Priest, 
Prophet, and King, is by pre-eminence the Anointed, 
and hence His name Christ. ^ The balsam used in Holy 
Chrism is a kind of odoriferous resin which exudes from 
a tree that grows in Judea and Arabia. This species was 
always used in the West till the sixteenth century, when 
Popes Paul III. and Pius IV. permitted the use of a better 
kind brought from the West Indies. The Oil of the Sick 
is so named from its principal use being to anoint the 
sick in the sacrament of Extreme Unction. 

With regard to the time when the oils are consecrated, 
and the person by whom the solemn ceremony is per- 
formed, it is to be remarked that they are consecrated 
by bishops only, and that the ceremony takes place 
during Mass on Holy Thursday. The consecration of the 
oils during the Mass dates from the earliest times, and 
St. Basil attributes the origin of it to apostolic tradition. 
In the Western, or Latin, Church it was always per- 
formed by the bishops, but in the Eastern Church it was 
reserved to the patriarchs, who consecrated the oils for 
their entire patriarchates. At first the oils were blessed 
^ Isaias, Ixi. 1; St. Luke, iv, 18; Acts, x. 38. 



The Holy Oils, 91 

on any day at Mass ; but in a letter of Pope Leo the 
Great to the Emperor of the same name, in the synod of 
Toledo, in the year 490, Holy Thursday was permanently 
fixed as the day upon which the ceremony must take 
place. France did not, however, adopt this ruling until 
the Council of Meaux, in 845. Barry thus accounts for 
the selection of Holy Thursday as the day upon which 
the consecration should take place : ''It was customary 
among the Jews for guests invited to a banquet to anoint 
themselves with oil. From this we may understand why 
the Church consecrates her oils in the last week of Lent. 
Two spiritual banquets are preparing. Many that were 
without the pale of truth are to be brought into it by 
baptism - during Easter time, and made to sit down with 
the children of the household at the banquet of Christ's 
holy faith. The Holy Ghost, too, is getting ready a feast 
of sevenfold gifts and twelve precious fruits of holiness. 
For the happy guests called to these two divine banquets 
Mother Church prepares the fragrant oils of gladness 
wherewith they may be anointed." ^ 

The ceremony of the blessing of the oils is very inter- 
esting and impressive, and the time and manner are 
indicative of the reverence with which the Church re- 
gards them and requires her children to treat them. Be- 
sides the sacred ministers necessary to assist the bishop, 
as at every solemn Pontifical Mass, there must be seven 
subdeacons, seven deacons, and twelve priests, each 
clothed in the vestments of his order; or rather, as it al- 
most universally happens, so many of the neighboring 
priests vested as subdeacons, deacons, and priests; for it 
is seldom that so many subdeacons and deacons are 
found in any of our dioceses at the same time. In places 
where it is impossible to have so large a number of the 

^ "The Sacramentals," pp. 114, 115. 



d2 The Holy Oils. 

reverend clergy assist, the Holy See permits a bishop to 
consecrate the oils with a smaller number. For the 
ceremony a table is placed in the sanctuary, between the 
foot of the altar steps and the communion rail, with a 
white cover, a book-stand, and a number of candles on 
it, and with seats placed by it so as to face the altar. 
"When the bishop, who must celebrate the Holy Sacrifice 
himself, comes to the part of the Mass immediately be- 
fore the Fater Noster^ he leaves the altar and goes to 
the table, where he seats himself with his ministers. The 
assistant priest then calls out in an audible tone, in Latin, 
of course, *' The Oil of the Sick! " Immediately one of 
the subdeacons, with an acolyte at each hand, goes to 
the sacristy where the oil is, and carries the vessel con- 
taining it to the bishop. The latter then reads an ex- 
orcism and recites a prayer over it, which constitute the 
blessing of this oil. It is then taken back to the sacristy 
in the same manner in which it was brought ; and the 
Mass proceeds till the bishop has communicated and re- 
ceived the ablutions. He then returns with his ministers 
to the table, and seats himself; and the assistant priest 
calls for the other oils with the words, *' The Oil for the 
Holy Chrism," and ** The Oil of Catechumens." These 
are brought to the bishop with greater ceremony than 
was the Oil of the Sick — partly, it may be because they 
are destined to serve more important purposes; and 
partly, perhaps, because the manner in which the Oil of 
the Sick is brought and blessed typifies the silence of 
death. Asubdeacon with a processional cross, an acolyte 
at either hand, carrying a lighted candle, and the censer- 
bearer, leading the procession, are followed by the seven 
subdeacons, the seven deacons, and the twelve priests, 
who proceed to the sacristy, where one of the subdeacons 
takes the little vessel containing the balsam, while two 



The Holy Oils, 93 

of the deacons take those containing the oils — the latter 
vessels being covered with veils. Forming a procession 
they return to the sanctuary, chanting an appropriate 
hymn. On arriving all take their places, except those 
who hold the vessels, who stand at a convenient distance 
from the table, where they deliver up the vessels as the 
ceremony proceeds. The bishop first blesses the balsam 
with three prayers, mixing it in the meantime with some 
of the oil from that which is to be, after consecration, 
the Holy Chrism. The bishop, and, after him, the 
twelve priests then breathe over the vessel of oil three 
times in the form of a cross, but say nothing, while the 
vessel is still covered, except the top, with the veil. Thi& 
done, the bishop reads an exorcism, and then sings a 
very beautiful preface, at the conclusion of which he 
puts into the oil the mixture of balsam, reciting at the 
same time an appropriate prayer. He next sings thrice, 
raising his voice a tone each time, the words Ave^ 
Sanctum Ghrisma! — *^Hail, Holy Chrism!" — and kisses 
the lip of the vessel, in which he is followed by the 
twelve priests, who go in turn to the foot of the altar,, 
genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament, and turning toward 
the vessel of oil on the table, repeat the same words 
thrice, raising their voices and genuflecting to the vessel 
each time. 

At the conclusion of this ceremony the vessel is set 
aside, its blessing being concluded, and that containing 
the Oil of Catechumens is taken from the deacon and 
presented to the bishop. The blessing of this oil begins 
with the bishop and, after him, the twelve priests 
breathing on it thrice in the form of a cross, after which 
the bishop reads over it an exorcism and a prayer. He 
then sings thrice, as he did over the Holy Chrism, Avey 
Sanctum Oleum! — *'Hail, Holy Oil!" — and kisses 



^4 The Holy Oils. 

the lip of the vessel ; and the same is done by the twelve 
priests. With this ends the blessing of the oils, and 
they are taken back to the sacristy in procession as they 
were brought out, with the chanting of a hymn, the 
bishop returning in the meantime to the altar to finish 
Mass. This brief account affords but a faint idea of 
the solemnity of the ceremony, and the beauty and 
expressiveness of the prayers that accompany it. 

The holy oils must be blessed every year, and it is not 
permitted to mix any of the oil of the previous year 
with what has been newly consecrated. What, then, is 
<lone with it ? It is burned in the sanctuary lamp, if 
there is enough for that purpose ; but if not, it must be 
burned in some other way. As soon as possible, and 
generally on Holy Thursday, immediately after the con- 
clusion of the Mass, the clergy of the diocese, as far as 
possible, procure their supply of the new oils for the 
ensuing year, which they keep in three small vessels, 
that must be of some substantial and proper material 
for the reception of so holy an article, and w^hich must 
be duly marked to prevent mistakes afterward in the use 
of the oils. They should be kept in a receptacle in the 
wall of the sanctuary, at the side of the main altar ; but 
if for a sufficient reason this cannot be done, they must 
be kept in some other becoming place under lock and 
key, but not with the Blessed Sacrament in the taber- 
nacle. As much as may be necessary for present use is 
kept by the priest in the oil-stocks — a small cylindrical 
Tessel, w^hich screws apart, forming three little compart- 
ments, one for each of the oils, which are absorbed in 
•cotton, the whole being enclosed in a leathern case con- 
venient for carrying. 

It is to be remarked with regard to the numerous 
anointings with the Holy Oils in the administration of 



The Holy Oils. 95 

sacraments or the conferring of blessings that they are^ 
always performed with the thumb of the right hand. 
And first, of anointings in the administration of sacra- 
ments. Of such as are performed by a bishop, there are^ 
those that take place in the consecration of a bishop ; 
the first of which is that of the tonsure, or top of the^ 
head, which is performed early in the ceremony and 
with holy chrism, the officiating prelate reciting at the 
same time these words over the bishop-elect : *' May thy 
head be anointed and consecrated with celestial bene- 
diction in the pontifical order : In the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen. 
Peace be to thee." It may be remarked, once for alU 
that whenever, in performing any unction, the word 
'^ bless," *' sanctify," or *' consecrate" occurs, as a rule^ 
the sign of the cross is made, whether it be a bishop or 
a priest who is officiating ; and that, when the anointing 
is followed by the name of the three Divine Persons, as 
above, a bishop makes the sign of the cross with his- 
hand on or over the person or article blessed, at the 
mention of each of the Divine Persons, while a priest 
makes it but once for all three Persons. Later on in the 
ceremony of consecration is the anointing of the hands 
of the bishop-elect with holy chrism, the consecrating 
prelate saying the while, *' May these hands be anointed 
with the consecrated oil and the chrism of salvation ; as 
Samuel anointed David king and prophet, so may they 
be anointed and consecrated : In the name of the Father^ 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, making the holy 
sign of the cross of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath 
redeemed us from death, and led us to the kingdom of 
heaven," etc. These are the only unctions in the con- 
secration of a bishop. 
There is but one unction in the ordination of a priest^ 



96 The Holy Oils. \ 

which is that of the inside of his hands with the Oil of 
Catechumens, to consecrate them for the conferring of 
blessings, as the words used express, and for touching 
the Most Blessed Sacrament. While anointing the hands 
the bishop says : ''Vouchsafe, O Lord, to consecrate 
and sanctify these hands by this unction and .our bless- 
ing. Amen." And joining them together palm to 
palm, and making the sign of the cross over them, he 
continues : ' ' That whatsoever they bless may be blessed, 
and whatsoever they consecrate may be consecrated and 
sanctified : In the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ." 
By virtue of this consecration the priest is empowered 
not only to touch and handle what is most holy, even 
the sacred Body of Jesus Christ in the Adorable Sacra- 
ment, but also to bless any proper article by merely mak- 
ing the sign of the cross over it. 

Another sacrament in the administration of which the 
bishop uses the holy oils is Confirmation. While con- 
ferring this sacrament he makes the sign of the cross 
with holy chrism on the forehead of each one confirmed, 
saying at the same time : iV., I sign thee with the sign 
of the cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salva- 
tion : In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost. Amen." The bishop anoints the fore- 
head of the person confirmed, that he may become a 
valiant soldier of Christ, carrying before him, as it were, 
in the face of the world, the sign of Him under whose 
standard he has enlisted and is doing battle, in imitation 
of those whom St. John saw in the Apocalypse (vi. 3), 
who were marked with the sign of the Son of man, in 
contradistinction to those who bore the mark of the in- 
fernal beast (xix. 20) ; and in imitation of the courageous 
Apostle of the G-entiles, who gloried in the cross of Christ.' 
1 Galatians, vi. 14. 



The Holy Oils. 97 

Of the sacraments administered by a priest, there are 
two in which the holy oils are used — Baptism and Ex- 
treme Unction. In Baptism there are two unctions, the 
former of which takes place before the pouring of the 
water, when the priest anoints the person with the Oil 
of Catechumens, first on the breast and then on the back 
between the shoulders, saying while performing the cere- 
mony, " I anoint thee with the oil of salvation in Christ 
Jesus Our Lord, that thou mayest have eternal life. 
Amen." These unctions, like all the other ceremonies of 
the Church, have a mystic signification, and one which 
should be very interesting to us, since every one of us has 
had this ceremony performed for him, and that, too, at 
a time when he was incapable of receiving an explanation 
of it. The baptized person, as an athlete of Jesus Christ, 
in entering on the struggle for faith and piety, is anoint- 
ed.^ By the anointing on the breast the Christian is 
reminded that he should carry Christ in his heart by faith, 
love, and the frequent remembrance of His holy presence, 
and, like St. Paul, should desire to know nothing but 
Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. The anointing between 
the shoulders reminds him that he must be prepared to 
carry the cross, according to the words of Christ : *' If 
anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and 
take up his cross and follow Me." ^ Another anointing 
takes place immediately after the pouring of the water, 
and this time with holy chrism, in the form of a cross, on 
the top of the head. While performing it the priest says: 
*' May Almighty God, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who has regenerated thee by water and the Holy Ghost, 
and who has granted thee the pardon of all thy sins, 
Himself anoint thee with the chrism of salvation, in the 
same Jesus Christ Our Lord, unto life everlasting. 

1 Cornelius ^ Lapide, vol. xviii., p. 334. « St. Matthew, xvi. 24. 



98 The Holy Oils. 

Amen." Allusion is here made to the words of Our 
Saviour to Nieodemus : '' Unless a man be born again of 
water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the 
kingdom of God."* Eegarding this unction the "Cate- 
chism of the Council of Trent" remarks : '* The person 
being now baptized, the priest anoints with chrism the 
crown of his head, to give him to understand that from 
that day he is united as a member to Christ, his head, 
and engrafted on His body, and that therefore is he 
called a Christian from Christ, but Christ from chrism."* 
O'Kane gives the following explanation of this unction: 
** With respect to the unction with chrism after baptism, 
we may observe that in the beginning the bishop was 
usually the minister of baptism, and he signed the neo- 
phytes on the forehead with chrism immediately after 
baptizing them, so that the chrism used by the bishop 
was in reality for the sacrament of Confirmation. The 
vertical unction by priests was introduced, according to 
Bellarmine, to supply in some way for this when the bishop 
was absent, and when, consequently, confirmation could 
not be immediately conferred as usual. It is said to have 
been instituted by Pope Sylvester I. Innocent I., ia a 
letter regarding this matter, says that priests may anoint 
those whom they baptize with chrism blessed by the bishop ; 
but they must not apply it to the forehead, as this is re- 
served to bishops. From the * Sacramentary ' of St. 
Gregory it appears that the vertical unction was applied 
by priests even when the bishop was present and con- 
firmed the neophytes immediately after. The same may 
be also inferred from the * Sacramentary ' of St. Gela- 
sius. . . . It is to be applied even by the bishop when he 
baptizes, though he may confer the sacrament of Confir- 
* St. John- iii. 5 ^^ 2 part ii., chapter ii., No. 73. 



The Holy Oils, 99 

mation immediately after. "^ Another unction performed 
by a priest is in Extreme Unction, a sacrament which 
derives its name from its being the last anointing the 
Christian receives before departing this life. In the 
administration of this sacrament the priest, after the 
sprinkling of holy water, with the customary prayer, 
recites two other prayers ; then one of the persons pres- 
ent says the Conflteor^ and the priest recites a third 
prayer, after which he anoints each sense and the hands 
and feet with the oil of the sick, in the form of a cross, 
pronouncing at each the prayer: *' Through this holy 
unction and of His most tender mercy, may the Lord 
pardon thee whatsoever sins thou hast committed by 
[here the sense is named]. Amen." 

So much for the use of the oils in the administration of 
the sacraments. The thoughtful and devout reader cannot 
but recognize the important part which they play, 
whether they affect the Christian directly, as in Baptism, 
Confirmation, and Extreme Unction, or indirectly, as in 
the consecration of a bishop and the ordination of a 
priest, in Holy Orders. If we turn to their uses apart 
from the sacraments, we shall find that they are only 
of less importance then these, but are still of immense 
benefit to the faithful. 

I shall not pause to speak of the use of the holy oils 
in the consecration of kings and queens, both because it 
does not affect us, and also because in these unhappy 
times it is seldom or never that rulers ascend their 
thrones with the solemn ceremonies prescribed by the 
Church. 

Foremost among the blessings of inanimate objects in 
which the holy oils are used must be placed that of an 
^ Notes on the Rubrics of the Roman Ritual, No. 248. 

L.ofC. 



100 The Holy Oils. 

altar or an altar-stone. As there is but slight difference 
between these two, mention will be made only of an altar. 
From the nature and dignity of the Divine Victim 
offered in sacrifice in the JSTew Law, w^e are prepared to 
expect a more solemn consecration of our altars than 
of those of the Jewish Dispensation, upon which the 
sacrifice of animals or of inanimate things was offered. 
Yet even those altars were consecrated with great cere- 
mony. From the beginning of the Christian era great 
attention was paid to whatever related to the altar. But 
during the ages of persecution and before the Christians 
were permitted to build churches, little attention, as a 
rule, could be devoted to the material and location of al- 
tars. The faithful were then compelled by stern neces- 
sity to do the best they could, and await happier days. 
But when freedom began to be enjoyed, disciplinary 
laws were enacted, and a new order of things was inau- 
gurated. Churches were built, generally with the altar 
to the east — which is called in liturgical language the 
orientation of churches, as Christ is called "the Orient 
from on high," who, like the sun rising in the east, dif- 
fused the light of truth on those who sat in darkness and 
in the shadow of death. The altar was then required to 
be of stone ; and if not the whole altar, at least the 
table of it must be of stone. But for the convenience of 
missionaries who had frequently to offer the Holy Sacri- 
fice outside a church, as w^ell as for churches too poor to 
afford an entire stone altar, an altar-stone, large enough 
to place the chalice and host upon, was and still is per- 
mitted. 

Five crosses, one near each corner and one in the 
centre, are cut in the altar-table ; and in front of the 
one in the centre is also cut a little cavity, called the 
*' confession" or "sepulchre," into which the relics of 



The Holy Oils. 101 

martyrs are placed at the time of consecration. The 
ceremony of consecrating an altar is very long, and is 
one of the functions reserved to a bishop, or to a priest 
having special faculties from him. It consists of the 
recitation of prayers and psalms, and the performance 
of ceremonies, such as signing with the cross, sprinkling 
with holy water, blessed especially for that purpose, in- 
censing, etc. But we are concerned only with the anoint- 
ings, of which there is a considerable number. In the 
course of the blessing the bishop anoints the interior of 
the four corners of the sepulchre with holy chrism, before 
depositing the relics in it, repeating at each unction the 
words : " May this sepulchre be consecrated and sancti- 
fied : In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost. Peace be to this house." After the 
placing of the relics in the sepulchre and the recitation of 
a psalm, he takes the diminutive stone that is to cover 
the sepulchre, and, while signing it with holy chrism in 
the form of a cross, he says : " May this table (or stone) 
be consecrated and sanctified with this unction and the 
blessing of God : In the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Peace be to thee." When 
the cover of the sepulchre has been put in its place, and 
cemented there, he again signs it with holy chrism wi^h 
the words : ** May this altar be signed and sanctified : Ir 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost. Peace be to thee. " Proceeding with the ceremony, 
he anoints with the Oil of Catechumens the five crosses 
cut in the altar, repeating at each unction the formiala : 
^*May this stone be sanctified and consecrated, in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost, in honor of God and of the glorious Virgin Mary, 
and of all the saints, to the name and memory of St. iV. 
Peace be to thee." Soon the bishop anoints the same 



102 The Holy Oils. 

places with the Oil of Catechumens in the same manner, 
and with the same form of words. As the ceremony- 
proceeds he repeats the anointings, but this time with 
Holy Chrism, with the same ceremony and form of words 
as before. Having intoned an antiphon, those in attend- 
ance recite a psalm while he pours Oil of Catechumens 
and holy chrism on the altar, and anoints its entire sur- 
face. A number of prayers follows, after which the 
bishop forms with Holy Chrism a cross at each corner of 
the altar-table, at the points where it rests on the sub- 
structure, as it were joining them together ; and during 
each unction he repeats the words : '' In the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." With 
this ends the anointings of the altar. 

The altar is now ready for the offering of the Ador- 
able Sacrifice. But vessels must also be consecrated for 
its use, and this, too, by a bishop ; for in them are to 
rest the sacred body and blood of Jesus Christ. The 
ceremony of consecrating these is short. The paten, or 
small plate upon which the Sacred Host is placed, is first 
consecrated with three short prayers, and while the 
bishop makes the sign of the cross on its inner surface 
with Holy Chrism, and afterward anoints the entire in- 
side, he repeats the words : ' ' Vouchsafe, O Lord God ! 
to consecrate and sanctify this paten by this unction 
and our blessing, in Jesus Christ Our Lord, who liveth 
and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, 
God forever and ever. Amen." The chalice is then 
consecrated with the same number of prayers, and is 
anointed in the interior, first in the form of a cross, and 
afterward in the whole interior surface, the bishop re- 
citing the while the same form as in the case of the 
paten, only substituting the word chalice for pateii. 

But it is not enough to have an altar upon which 




Vessels for the Holy Oils. 

1. Sacristy Oil-stock. 2. Oil- stock for Baptisms. 3. Bishop's Vase 
for the Holy Oils. 4. Bishop's Oil-stock. 5. Pocket Oil-stock. 
6. Ambry, in which the Holy Oils are kept. See page 86. 



The Holy Oils, 103 

sacrifice is to be offered, and the vessels necessary for 
its use ; there should also be a means of calling the 
people to assist at the Holy Sacrifice, and the more so as 
this assisting is of obligation. Hence from the begin- 
ning of our era various means were employed, but all 
have long since given place to bells, which will be 
treated of in another essay. 

**Unlessaman be born again of water and of the 
Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of 
God ; " ^ nor, as a preliminary step to that, can he enter 
into the Church, which is the kingdom of God upon 
earth. But that the w^ater by which he is to be regen- 
erated may be fitted for so holy a purpose, it should first 
receive the blessing of the Church. For this a very 
beautiful and appropriate ceremony is arranged to be 
performed by priests, in every church that has a bap- 
tismal font, on Holy Saturday and the eve of Pentecost, 
immediately before Mass, because on those days the bap- 
tism of the catechumens took place in the primitive 
Church. A shorter form of blessing, that can be per- 
formed at any time, is arranged for the use of priests in 
missionary countries ; but as it is special, we shall not 
pause to speak of it. The blessing for the days named 
consists of two short prayers and a beautiful preface, 
interspersed with a number of ceremonies ; and toward 
the end of it the oils are mingled with the water in the 
following manner. The Oil of Catechumens is first 
poured into the water in the form of a cross, the priest 
at the same time saying : *' May this font be sauctified 
and fructified with the oil of salvation, for those regen- 
erated out of it, unto everlasting life." After this he 
pours in the Holy Chrism, also in the form of a cross, 
reciting the words, '* May the infusion of the chrism of 

1 St. John, iii. 5. 



104 The Holy Oils. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Ghost the Para- 
clete be effected in the name of the Most Holy Trinity.'* 
Next, taking in each hand one of the small vessels con- 
taining the oils, he pours them together thrice into the 
font in the form of a cross, saying : '' May the mingling 
of the chrism of salvation and the oil of unction and the 
water of baptism be at the same time effected. In the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost." With this ends the ceremony, and with the 
mingling of the oils with the water by the priest ends 
the blessing of the font, and the employment of the holy 
oils in the functions of religion. In all these uses the 
reader has seen how holy Mother Church manifests her 
solicitude for the spiritual welfare of her devoted chil- 
dren. Whatever she does must, after the honor and 
glory of God, redound to their advantage. Our grati- 
tude to her should increase with our increased knowl- 
edge. 



Holy Water. 105 



YIII.— HOLY WATER. 

Kind reader, as you sometimes stand at the church 
door, and see people enter and depart, taking holy water 
as they do so, and some making a well-defined sign of 
the cross, and others a mojtion that might be taken for 
the brushing away of an importunate mosquito, or for 
anything else but what it is intended to represent, did 
you ever feel a desire to learn anything more about holy 
water than that it is blessed by a priest as necessity re- 
quires, and placed at the church door for the convenience 
of the people ? Or do you, perhaps, belong to the large 
number of those who are content to practise their reli- 
gion in a mechanical sort of waj without caring to 
trouble themselves with an inquiry into the history and 
signification of its numerous sacred rites ? 

The first point to attract attention is the extensive use 
of holy water in the sacred functions of religion and 
among the faithful. From the grand basilica to the hut 
of the beggar holy water is found, and it enters into the 
imposing ceremonial of the one as well as into the simple 
devotions of the other. It is required in almost all the 
blessings of the Church and in some of the sacraments, 
and few sacred rites are complete without it. The room 
in which we are born is sprinkled with it ; in one of its 
three several forms it is poured on our brow in baptism ; 
it accompanies the last sad rites of religion over our re- 
mains, and the ground in which we are laid to return to 
dust is consecrated with its hallowed drops. This is an 
evidence of the importance the Church attaches to it, as 
well as of the perfect manner in which the faithful have 



106 , Holy Water. 

imbibed her spirit ; and it must also be regarded as a 
proof of its efficacy in conferring blessings and repelling 
the attacks of the enemy of mankind. 

What, then, is holy water ? We need not be told that 
it is water which has been blessed with certain exorcisms 
and prayers, and into which salt similarly blessed has 
been mingled. 

The better to understand the history of holy water in 
the Christian Church, it will be well to inquire into the 
part which water played in the religious ceremonies of 
both the Jewish and the pagan nations of antiquity. 
Water being the natural element for the removal of ex- 
ternal defilements, it was to be expected that any system 
of religion, whether true or false, abounding, as all did 
in ancient times, in symbolical rites, would adopt water 
as the symbol of interior purity. We do not, however, 
read of water having been used in the religious ceremo- 
nies of the worshippers of the true God before the estab- 
lishment of the Mosaic Law. Nor need we be surprised 
at this ; for up to that time the ceremonial of divine 
worship had hardly begun to be developed, but consisted 
almost wholly of prayers and the offering of sacrifices by 
the patriarch of the tribe or family. But with the estab- 
lishment of the Jewish Dispensation, when the ritual 
prescriptions were defined with the greatest precision, 
purification by water was made to play an important 
part.^ 

The student of the Greek and Latin classics need not 
be reminded that among the Greeks and Komans lustra- 
tions and other religious ceremonies, in which the use of 
water entered largely, formed an important part of the 
ritual exercises of their temples ; and the following will 

^ Exodus, xix. 10; xxx. 18, et seq,; Leviticus, viii. 6; Numbers, xix. 
et seq.; Deuteronomy, xxi. 1 et seq.y etc. 



m 



Holy Water. 107 

suffice for the general reader. * ' Originally ablution in 
water was the only rite observed by the Greeks ; but 
afterward sacrifices, etc., were added. They were em- 
ployed both to purify individuals, cities, fields, armies, 
or states, and to call down the blessing of the gods. 
The most celebrated lustration of the Greeks was that 
performed at Athens, in the days of Solon, by Epimen- 
ides of Crete, who purified that city from the defilement 
incurred by the Cylonian Massacre. A general lustra- 
tion of the whole Koman people took place, every fifth 
year, before the censors went out of office. On that oc- 
casion the citizens assembled in the Campus Martins, and 
the sacrifices termed Suovetaurilia, consisting of a sow, 
a sheep, and an ox, were offered up, after being carried 
thrice around the multitude. This ceremony, to which 
the name of lustrum was particularly applied, is said to 
have been instituted by Servius Tullius in 566 B.C., and 
was celebrated for the last time at Rome in the reign of 
Vespasian. . . . All Roman armies were lustrated 
before they commenced military operations. The Roman 
shepherd at the approach of night adorned his fold with 
branches and foliage, sprinkled his sheep with water, 
and offered incense and sacrifices to Pales, the tutelary 
divinity of shepherds. Whatever was used at lustrations 
was immediately after the ceremony cast into the river, 
or some place inaccessible to man, as it was deemed 
ominous for anyone to tread on it." * In the Egyptian 
pagan worship lustrations were more frequent than 
among any other people, the priests being required to 
wash themselves twice every day and twice every night .^ 
But it is needless to multiply examples from pagan 
antiquity ; suffice it to say that so universal was the cus- 

1 " American Cyclopedia,'* article Lustration. 
* Herodotus, book ii. No. 37. 



108 Holy Water, 

torn that it found its way into the New World, the less 
barbarous tribes of Mexico and Central America having 
their sacred water, which was used for various religious 
and medicinal purposes/ And among some at least of 
the pagans, as among Catholics, the custom existed of 
sprinkling themselves, or having themselves sprinkled 
by the priests, with water on entering their temples.^ 

The fact that a sort of holy water was in use both 
among the Jews and pagans might appear to give some 
plausibility to the statement sometimes made that many 
Catholic rites and ceremonies are- but a reproduction of 
those of paganism ; or, as one Pittsburg divine chari- 
tably put it, '' the Komanists are only baptized pagans." 
Without attempting to defend the Church against these 
silly attacks, it may be said that several different replies 
may be made to these accusations. In the first place, 
water being, as was said above, the most ready and nat- 
ural element for the cleansing of external defilements, 
it was to be expected that it would also be used as the 
symbol of purification from the defilements of sin, as in 
baptism. Again, the Jews having employed water in 
certain religious rites, the use of it in the New Dispensa- 
tion would have a tendency to aid in winning some, at 
least, of them to the Christian religion. As such an 
adaptation we have the blessing, or '* churching," of 
women after parturition, as an act of thanksgiving, 
taking the place of the legal purification enjoined on 
similar occasions by the Mosaic Law. And a like course 
of action was sometimes found to be of advantage 
among pagans who were too strongly attached to some 
of their pagan rites. According to the principle laid 

1 Hubert Howe Bancroft's '* Native Races," vol, ii. p. 611 ; and vol. 
iii. p. 370 et seq., etc. 

2 " Kirchen -Lexicon, " article Weihwasser. 



Holy Water, 109 

down by St. Paul, missionaries made themselves all to 
all that they might gain all to Christ.' As an instance : 
when St. Augustine, who had been sent to England to 
preach the Gospel, found the custom among the pagans 
of having idols placed in the hollow of trees, and other 
similar places, he was perplexed as to the best means of 
winning the people from this idolatry. Knowing, as he 
did full well, that if the idols were removed not a few 
of the people would retain a superstitious veneration 
for the places they had once occupied, he wrote for ad- 
vice to St. Gregory the Great, w^ho was then ruling the 
Universal Church. The Pope advised him to substitute 
for the pagan idols the images of the Blessed Virgin and 
the saints ; which he did, wuth the desired effect. 
Finally, it may be answered that the Church has re- 
ceived from her divine Founder the plenitude of power 
for the institution of such rites and ceremonies as may 
seem best to her, enlightened as she is by the indwelling 
of the Holy Spirit, for the carrying out of her exalted 
mission. Let us now direct our attention to the history 
and use of holy water in the Christian Church. 

The present rite of blessing water by prayer and an 
admixture of salt is frequently referred to Pope St. 
Alexander I., who governed the Church from the year 
109 to 119. But from the words which he uses in his 
decree it would appear that the rite is more ancient than 
the time of that Pontiff. He says : " We bless, for the 
use of the people, water mingled with salt." Marcellius 
Columna attributes the introduction of holy water to 
the apostle St. Matthew, whose action was approved by 
the other apostles, and soon became general.^ Whether 
we are disposed to accept this evidence as conclusive or 

1 1. Cor. ix. 20-22. 

2 " Institutiones Liturgicae," by J. Fornici, pp. 353, 354. 



110 Holy Water, 

not, it is all but certain from other proofs that the use 
of holy water dates from apostolic times, as St. Basil, 
among others, maintains.^ 

The blessing of water before High Mass on Sundays, 
and the sprinkling of the people with it by the celebrant, 
before he commences the offering of the Adorable Sacri- 
fice, are commonly attributed to Pope St. Leo lY . , who 
governed the Church from 847 to 855 ; but there are 
also very learned authorities who trace it to a far more 
remote antiquity.^ The custom of placing holy water at 
the door of the church for the use of the faithful enter- 
ing and departing is still more ancient, as may be in- 
ferred from the fact that the idea was evidently sug- 
gested by the Jewish custom of requiring purifications 
before entering the temple to offer or assist at the sacri- 
fices. But it would be impossible to fix the precise date. 
The custom of Christians sprinkling themselves with 
water, or even of washing their hands and face before 
entering the house of God, existed throughout the 
Church at least from the time of Tertullian, that is, 
before the end of the second century.^ Mgr. Barbier 
has the following in regard to the custom of taking holy 
water on leaving the church : ** The holy-water font, as 
its name indicates, is a vase intended to contain holy 
water for the use of the faithful, who bless themselves 
with it on entering the church, and not when leaving ; 
for they purify themselves to enter the holy place ; but 
when they leave it they should have no further use for 
that spiritual succor, sanctified as they have been by 
prayer, the sacraments, and the liturgical offices. Such 
is the practice universally followed in Rome.'' While 
this was, indeed, the original idea with regard to the 

^ " Kirchen- Lexicon." 2 gee essay on the Asperges. 

^>_-, 3 " Kirchen-Lexicon."" 



Holy Water. Ill 

use of holy water, it would appear that the custom now 
generally found of taking it both on entering and de- 
parting is to be commended, both because it is so uni- 
versally in use, because it is certainly beneficial, and 
because the Church has enriched the pious use of holy 
water every time it is taken with an indulgence, as will 
appear further on. 

The use of holy water among the faithful at their 
homes is of still greater antiquity, as may be learned 
from the Apostolic Constitutions, which contain a 
formula for the blessing of it, that it may have power 
'' to give health, drive away diseases, put the demons to 
flight," ' etc. 

Let us now turn to the historical and liturgical view 
of the question. First, there are three, or, in another 
sense, four, kinds of holy water. According to the first 
division, there is, first, baptismal water, which is re- 
quired to be blessed on every Holy Saturday and eve of 
Pentecost in all churches that have baptismal fonts. 
This water, after the holy oils have been mingled with 
it, is used only in the administration of baptism. In 
the next place, there is water blessed by a bishop to be 
used in consecrating churches, or reconciling churches 
that have been desecrated. This is called Gregorian 
Water, because Pope Gregory IX. made its use obliga- 
tory for the purposes specified. Wine, ashes, and salt 
are mingled with it. Then there is the common holy 
water, which, as is well known, is usually blessed by a 
priest. This blessing may be performed at any tine, 
and in any suitable place. It is directed to be done 
every Sunday before Mass, as we shall see, with the 
exception of Easter and Pentecost, when the water 
blessed on the previous eve is used for the Asperges. 
^ " Catholic Dictionary," article Holy Water, 



112 Holy Water, 

In the Oriental ehurches there is the custom of solemnly- 
blessing water on the feast of Epiphany, in memory of 
the baptism of Our Lord in the river Jordan, which 
event is commemorated by the Church on that day.^ 

According to another division, there may be said to 
be four kinds of holy water ; for when water is being 
blessed for the baptismal font it is usually put into a 
larger vessel, and at a certain stage in the ceremony the 
font is filled, to receive the holy oils and be used in 
baptism, while the rest is distributed among the people. 
This is commonly called *' Easter "Water." It maybe 
remarked, in passing, that the laws of the Church re- 
quire the holy water to be removed from all the fonts at 
the church doors during the ' last three days of Holy 
Week. 

When we examine into the blessing of holy water, it 
is found to consist of exorcisms, prayers, and the min- 
gling of salt with the water. By the fall of our first 
parents the spirit of evil obtained an influence not only 
over man but also over inanimate nature, whence he is 
called in Scripture *'the prince of this world."* For 
this reason, when any material object is to be devoted 
to the service of God, an exorcism is generally first pro- 
nounced over it, to banish the evil spirit and destroy his 
influence ; after which one or more prayers are read 
over it to call down the blessing of God upon it, and 
upon those who use it in a spirit of faith. In the exor- 
cism of salt, the priest addresses it, declaring that he 
exorcises it by the Living God, the True God, the Holy 
God, by the God who commanded the prophet Eliseus to 
cast salt into the water to purify it ; ^ that it may be- 
come exorcised for the use of the faithful ; that whoso- 

1 *♦ Kirchen-Lexicon." ^ gt. John, xii. 31 ; xiv. 30, etc. 
» IV. Kings, ii. 23. 



Holy Water. 113 

ever uses it may enjoy health of soul and body ; that all 
phantasms and wickedness and all deceits of the devil 
may depart from the places where it is sprinkled, and 
that every evil spirit be adjured by Him who is to come 
to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. 
The salt, having been exorcised, is blessed with the fol- - 
lowing beautiful prayer: *^0 almighty and eternal 
God ! we humbly implore Thy boundless clemency that 
Thou wouldst mercifully deign to bless and sanctify this 
salt, Thy creature, which Thou hast given for the use of 
mankind, that it may bring health of mind and body 
unto all that take it, and that whatever is touched or 
sprinkled with it may be freed from all uncleanness and 
from all attacks of the spirit of wickedness." We see 
from this prayer that the Church begs God to attach a 
triple efficacy to the blessed salt : 1st, that it may be a 
means of salvation to the soul ; 2d, that it may be a 
preservative against corporal dangers ; 3d, that it may 
sanctify everything with which it comes in contact. It 
does not produce these effects of itself, as a sacrament 
does, but it obtains actual graces for the pious user, 
which will, if co-operated with, obtain them.^ The 
same remark applies to the efficacy of the water. 

Then follows the exorcism of the water, in the name 
of God the Father Almighty, in the name of Jesus 
Christ, His Son Our Lord, and in the name of the Holy 
Ghost, for the dispelling of all the power of the enemy 
of , man, and that the same enemy with his apostate 
angels may be utterly expelled by the power of the 
same Jesus Christ Our Lord, who is to come to judge 
the living and the dead and the world by fire. This ex- 
orcism is followed by the subjoined prayer : " O God ! 
who, for the salvation of mankind, hast wrought many 

1 Barry, p. 60. 



lU Holy Water. 

great mysteries and miracles by means of the substance 
of water, listen propitiously to our invocations, and in- 
fuse into this element, prepared by manifold purifica- 
tions, the power of Thy benediction : in order that Thy 
creature (water), being used as an instrument of Thy 
hidden works, may be efficacious in driving away devils 
and curing diseases ; that whatever in the houses or in 
the places of the faithful shall have been sprinkled with 
this water may be freed from all uncleanness and de- 
livered from all guile. Let no pestilential spirit reside 
there, no infectious air ; let all the snares of the hidden 
enemy be removed ; and if there should be anything 
adverse to the safety or repose of the indwellers, may it 
be put entirely to flight by the sprinkling of this water, 
that the welfare which we seek, by the invocation of Thy 
Holy IName, may be defended from all assaults ; through 
Our Lord Jesus Christ," etc. 

" This formula of prayer implores the following effects 
for the holy water : 1st, to drive away the devils ; 2d, to 
cure diseases ; 3d, to free houses and their contents from 
all evil, particularly from a plague-infected atmosphere. 
After these prayers the priest puts a little salt into the 
water three times, in the form of a cross, saying : * May 
this commingling of salt and water be made, in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost.' " ^ 

A few words on the use of salt in this and certain 
other solemn rites of the Church. Salt is frequently 
referred to in both the Old and New Testaments. '* The 
union of water and salt is not without mystery. The 
property of the first is to cleanse, of the second to pre- 
serve. The Church wishes that this sacramental should 

\ Barry, pp. 60, 61. 



Holy Water, 11> 

help to wash away sin from her children, and to preserve 
them from a relapse. Water quenches fire and fosters 
the growth of plants ; thus, in the spiritual order, water 
serves to quench the fire of the passions and to promote 
the growth of virtues. Salt is the symbol of wisdom ; it 
typifies the Eternal Wisdom, the Second Person of the 
Blessed Trinity. Water represents human nature. 
Hence the mingling of the two substances is emblematic 
of the Incarnation — of the assumption of human nature 
by the Eternal Word. Water represents repentance for 
past offences ; salt, from its preservative properties, rep- 
resents the care which the true penitent takes to avoid 
future relapses. 

'' There is a remarkable instance in the Fourth Book 
of Kings, 2d chapter,'* — to which reference is made in. 
the exorcism of salt, given above, — *' of the efficacy which 
God attaches to salt. The inhabitants of Jericho com- 
plained' to the prophet Eliseus that the water of their 
town was bad and the ground barren. The holy man 
said to them : ' Bring me a new vessel, and put salt into 
it. And when they had brought it, he went out to the 
spring of the waters, and cast the salt into it, and said : 
Thus saith the Lord : I have healed these waters, and 
there shall be no more in them death or barrenness.' " ^ 

The custom of mingling salt with the water when it is 
blessed is of great antiquity in the Church. One of the 
Apostolic Canons says : '' We bless water mingled with 
salt, that all who are sprinkled with it may be sanctified 
and purified." 2 

The importance which Holy Church attaches to indul- 
gences, more especially in modern times, makes it per- 
tinent to inquire, What indulgences, if any, are granted 

1 Barry, pp. 58, 59. 2 " Kirchen-Lexicon." 



116 , Holy Water. . 

to the use of holy water ? The Raccolta says (p. 5) : 
*'His Holiness Pope Pius IX., by a brief (March 23, 
1876), granted to all the faithful, every time that, with 
at least contrite heart, they shall make the sign of the 
cross with holy water, pronouncing at the same time the 
words ' In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost,' an indulgence of one hundred 
days." 



The Asperges, 117 



IX.— THE ASPERGES, OR SPRINKLING OF HOLY 
WATER BEFORE MASS. 

The self-sacrificing missionaries who first ministered 
to the scattered Catholic population of the United States 
encountered, as in many other countries, innumerable 
difficulties, not the least of which was that of strictly 
conforming to the ceremonial of the Church in her 
various sacred functions. At a time when the Adorable 
Sacrifice was offered up, now under a tree, now in a 
barn, a house, or a school-house, again in a canal tunnel 
— as the Very Rev. Prince Gallitzin once celebrated it 
west of the Alleghany mountains — it is not a matter of 
surprise that all the ceremonies of the liturgy were not 
observed. This state of affairs existed for a longer or 
shorter period in all parts of the country, and it still 
exists in many places. Few of the older of our mission- 
aries but are able to recall scenes in which it would 
have been impossible to carry out the ceremonial ; and 
the poor priest, with the best intentions, found himself 
in very truth the creature of circumstances. Many of 
the early missionaries were also at a disadvantage on 
their own account. Like their people, they were for the 
most part from Ireland, Germany, or France. The cen- 
turies of English oppression, with their restrictions on 
Catholic education in general, and prohibition, under 
the severest penalties, of education for the priesthood, 
were not sufficient to quench the missionary spirit of the 
Irish people, although they were frequently successful 
in depriving those who aspired to the sacred ministry of 



118 The Asperges^ 

the opportunity of receiving that thorough training 
which would have better fitted them for the exercise of 
the noble calling to which, even in their oppressed con- 
dition, they heard the divine voice inviting them, and 
which they had the hereditary courage to obey. The 
unsettled state of continental Europe, too, a century 
ago — about the time the Church in this country received 
permanent organization — was of such a character as to 
leave the candidates for the sacred ministry a very un- 
favorable opportunity of preparing themselves to follow 
the promptings of their heroic zeal. Hence many of 
them came to this country during that unhappy time 
with but an imperfect preparation for the fulfilment of 
their exalted mission. To these difficulties must be 
added the variety of national customs, both of priests 
and people, which could not fail to exercise an infiuence 
on the rising Church in America. 

Coming nearer to our own time, when the indomitable 
energy of the first American prelates prompted them to 
found ecclesiastical seminaries for the training of our 
youth — which was undertaken at a very early day — new 
elements entered in to render the introduction of the 
entire ceremonial difficult, if not impossible. The urgent 
needs of the infant Church forced the greater part of 
the bishops, much against their will, to ordain and send 
out priests as soon as they had received the minimum 
of necessary attainments, in order that bread might be 
broken for the children who were crying for it. These 
young priests were generally so much occupied with 
missionary work that they could find little time for 
study ; they had no brother priests to consult, except at 
distant intervals ; and they were commonly so poor as 
to be unable to buy the few books suitable for them 
which the market then afforded. What wonder that their 



or Sprinkling of Holy Water before Mass, 119 

too scanty store of knowledge suffered from the ravages 
of time, and that the difficulties of their position forced 
them to encroach somewhat on the domain of ritual re- 
quirements? Far be it from us, or from those more 
favored in our day, to underestimate their difficulties or 
censure their conduct. Rather should we study to emu- 
late their ardent zeal and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice. 
These young priests, finding their seniors — with whom 
they were sometimes placed as assistants, and many of 
whom had entered the ministry under still less favor- 
able circumstances — omit certain ceremonies, would 
naturally follow their example, and this for two reasons : 
first, from fear of being criticised, a fear which was not 
in every case imaginary ; and, secondly, from a reflex 
conclusion that what was permitted to their elders was 
also permitted to them. I am accounting for this state 
of affairs ; not approving nor condemning it. People 
are sometimes perplexed to account for difficulties the 
solution of which is very simple. 

When better times dawned upon the Church here the 
difficulties by which the priests were surrounded were 
not entirely removed. The urgent demand for mis- 
sionaries was, if anything, greater than before, owing 
to the ceaseless tide of immigration, largely Catholic, 
which flowed into the country ; the professors in our 
seminaries had for the most part labored on the mission 
among us and were conversant with the difficulties of 
the field, and they were not always as familiar, it may 
be, with the strict requirements of the liturgy as could 
be desired. Besides, the necessity they were under of 
crowding a long course of studies into a brief space of 
time forced them, in spite of themselves, to overlook 
certain points to which greater attention can be devoted 
at the present day. With these rather lengthy prefa- 



120 The Asperges, 

tory remarks we shall turn to the subject of the Aspe?'- 
ges. And first of its history. 

The introduction of the custom of blessing water be- 
fore the principal Mass on Sundays, and sprinkling the 
people with it, is commonly attributed to Pope St. Leo 
IV. (847-855) ; but there are not wanting learned 
writers who trace it to a far more remote antiquity, and 
regard the words of this Pontiff as referring to an exist- 
ing custom rather than to the introduction of one not 
as yet in use. Addressing the clergy on certain of their 
duties he says : *' Bless water every Sunday before Mass, 
whence the people may be sprinkled, and have a vessel 
especially for that purpose." ^ The Asperges was di- 
rected to be given by one of the canons of a synod held 
at Eheims by Eegina and Hincmar, in the ninth cen- 
tury, and Walafrid Strabo (born 806) speaks of it.^ 
Hence we may safely conclude that the Asperges^ sub- 
stantially as we now have it, dates from at least as early 
as the beginning of the ninth century. But that it 
underwent minor changes since that time is more than 
probable, inasmuch as the rubrics of the Missal were 
not irrevoeably fixed till some seven centuries later. 

When St. Pius V., acting in accordance with the rec- 
ommendation of the Fathers of the Council of Trent, 
issued a carefully revised edition of the Koman Missal, 
he commanded all persons of whatever dignity — even 
the cardinals of the Holy Koman Church — in virtue of 
holy obedience, to make use of that Missal and no other, 
unless they had — as in the case of certain churches and 
religious Orders — a different rite dating back at least 
two hundred years. The same command, with even 
severer penalties, was renewed by Popes Clement VIII. 
and Urban VIII. Among the rubrics of the Missal is 

* Fornici, p. 356. ^ "Kirchen-Lexicon/' 



or Sprinkling of Holy Water before Mass. 121 

one directing that the priest who is about to celebrate 
Mass shall — after the blessing of water, according to the 
ritual — vest in cope of the proper color for the day or 
feast, and shall proceed with the servers to the foot of 
the altar, where he shall sprinkle it, himself, the servers, 
and the people. The ceremony is also prescribed by the 
ritual, the Ceremonial of Bishops, the ceremonial pre- 
pared by the directions of the several councils of Balti- 
more and approved by the Pope, and by every work 
that treats of this subject ; so that it is utterly impos- 
sible to find any work that even supposes the possibility 
of its omission. It will suffice to quote Wapelhorst (p. 
129) on this point. He says that the Asperges is to be 
given at the conventual or principal Mass, although that 
Mass is celebrated without singing ; and it is not at all 
to be omitted, but w^hat should otherwise be -sung is to 
be read by the celebrant. In a note he proves it to be 
the opinion of all liturgicists that the Asperges cannot 
be omitted without fault, since it pertains in a certain 
sense to the substance of the principal Mass, just as the 
blessing of the candles does to that of the feast of the 
Purification, and ashes and palms on their respective 
days.^ 

The celebrant is the person who must perform the 
Asperges^ even though a prelate is present, although 
another priest may bless the water, as several decrees of 
the Sacred Congregation have decided. The Ceremonial 
prescribes the manner in which it is to be given. 

In the first synod ever held in the United States, that 
which convened at Baltimore in November, 1791, it was 

^ Ita omnes. "Absque culpa hsec benedictio et populi adspertio 
omitti nequeunt, cum quasi pertiueant ad Missae principalis substan- 
tiam, uti benedictio cereorum in die Puriflcationis, Cinerum et Pal- 
marum suis respective diebus." Rorasee, Bouvry, etc. 



122 The Asperges, 

decreed that in churches served by more than one priest, 
or in which there were lay persons able to sing, the sol- 
emn sprinkling with holy water should be given as the 
Missal prescribes.^ 

The mystical signification of the Asperges is, that we 
may renew every Sunday the remembrance of our bap- 
tism, which was formerly conferred on Easter and Pente- 
cost — or rather on the eve of those feasts— and also that 
the holy water by being blessed every Sunday may always 
be pure. The faithful are sprinkled with holy water that 
by the prayers which are recited in the blessing of it — to 
the essay on which the reader is referred — they, by being 
purified from sin, and defended from the wiles of the 
spirit of evil, may with greater attention and devotion 
assist at the adorable sacrifice of the Mass.'* 

The following are the words recited by the priest dur- 
ing the Aspe7^geSj the antiphons and responses being 
sung by the choir as well as recited by the celebrant : 
A7it. *' Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, O Lord, and 
I shall be cleansed : Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be- 
come whiter than snow. Psalm. Have mercy on me, O 
God, according to Thy great mercy. Glory be to the 
Father, etc. Ant, (repeated). Thou shalt sprinkle me, 
etc. F. Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy. R. And grant 
us Thy salvation. F. O Lord, hear my prayer. E. And 
let my cry come to Thee. F. The Lord be with you. R, 
And with Thy spirit. Let us pray. Hear us, O holy 
Lord, Father Almighty, everlasting God ; and vouchsafe 
to send Thy holy angel from heaven, to guard, cherish, 
protect, visit, and defend all those who are assembled to- 
gether in this house. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.'' 
The antiphon and psalm change in Paschal time, and 
are: *'I saw water flowing from the right side of the 

» *' Concilia Baltimorensia," p. 19. ^ Wapelhorst, N. 80, ad. 9. 




Holy- Water Fonts. 



See page 105. 



or Sprinkling of Holy Water before Mass. 123 

temple, Alleluia ; and all unto whom that water came 
were saved, and they shall say, Alleluia, Alleluia. 
Psalm, Praise the Lord, for He is good ; for His mercy 
endureth forever. Glory be to the Father," etc. 

In the Asperges the congregation constitutes one 
whole, and it is not necessary, in o?der to receive the 
benefit of it, that the holy water should touch every per- 
son, any more than it is necessary for the holy water to 
touch every candle or palm branch in their respective 
blessings. 



124 The Forty Hours^ Adoi^ation and 



X.— THE FORTY HOUES' ADORATION AND THE 

BENEDICTION OF THE MOST BLESSED 

SACRAMENT. 

I. 
Treating of the minor rites and offices of the Church, 
Cardinal Wisemam writes : **No man need hope ever to 
know, understand, or value worthily the richness and 
fulness of Catholic devotion, in its many beautiful forms, 
till he have passed into the interior of its divine sanctu- 
ary, and have visited, in its spirit, all its separate, but 
harmonizing, parts." ^ There are many who have entered 
this holy of holies ; but they are those who have culti- 
vated a devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament of he 
Altar, and who have, besides, learned to set a proper 
value on all the rites of holy Church. They are not the 
sickly, lukewarm Catholics, who perform the scant serv- 
ice they render to God from a sense of duty, and only 
so far as strict duty requires, but those who are influ- 
enced by love and who deem their service a privilege. 
As the same eminent writer remarks, those who sustain 
the Church's noble claim to beauty and loveliness '* will 
be found ever to set the highest value upon the minor 
observances of the Church — will be found most careful 
in their use, ever zealous in their defence of them. If 
then we see, as we always shall, the higher growth in 
virtue, and the full comeliness of holiness united with 
these practices, and going hand in hand with their appli- 
cation, should we not rather cherish than undervalue 
them ; increase and encourage, rather than diminish , 

1 '* Essays," vol. ii. pp. 255, 256. 



the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrame7it. 125 

them ; uphold and vindicate rather than abandon them 
to obliquity and misrepresentation ? " * 

Continuing, he writes: *'If the principle of private 
devotion among Catholics be that of coming as near as 
possible to the feelings in faith and love of those who 
lived in our blessed Eedeemer's society upon earth, the 
great idea and principle of public worship in the Cath- 
olic Church is to copy, as faithfully as may be permitted, 
the homage paid to Him and His Father in heaven. 
With the Church triumphant she is one ; and their offices 
in regard to praise and adoration are the same. Now, 
if we look up toward that happier sphere, we see the 
Lamb enthroned to receive eternal and unceasing wor- 
ship, praise, and benediction." * This end is admirably 
attained in the devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament, 
especially as exhibited in the Forty Hours' Adoration. 
And it is not to be the privilege of the few to assist at 
it ; but, as the same writer remarks : *^ She (the Church) 
would not even leave this duty of perennial homage to 
those communities who, distributing the day and night 
into various portions, some at one hour, some at another, 
no doubt fill up the entire space with holy services. 
Through every season, and through every day, she would 
have ever going on a direct, uninterrupted worship of 
her Lord and Saviour, as the Adorable Victim on His 
altar- throne." ' 

It is not the intention to treat in this essay of devotion 
to the Most Holy Sacrament in general, nor of those pro- 
cessions in which the same Holy Sacrament is carried, 
whether these take place within or without the church, 
nor even of those extraordinary expositions that are 
sometimes ordered by the Sovereign Pontiff, or by bish- 

1 " Essays," vol. ii. pp. 259, 260. 2 75,^ vol. ii. p. 266. 

3 76., vol. ii. p. 67. 



126 The Forty Hours'^ Adoration and 

op6, as sometimes happens in seasons of great spiritual 
or temporal necessity. Only the Forty Hours' Adora- 
tion, as had in our churches, and the benediction as 
^iven then or at other times, will be considered, as the 
intention is to treat of such matters only as are of prac- 
tical utility for the general reader. Extraordinary pro- 
cessions or expositions are usually explained when they 
take place. 

The procession of the Blessed Sacrament antedates 
both the exposition and the benediction, and was, most 
probably, introduced soon after the institution of the 
feast of Corpus Christi, a feast that was established by 
Pope Urban IV. in the year 1264. At first, according to 
the best evidence at command, it would appear that the 
Blessed Sacrament was carried in procession in a sacred 
vessel entirely concealed from view, and that it was 
afterward placed in the tabernacle without a blessing 
being given to the faithful present. This latter custom 
is still continued by the religious of the order of Car- 
thusians. Perhaps the first evidence we have of the 
Blessed Sacrament being carried in procession exposed 
to view is found in a work of the learned Thiers, who 
wrote on the Blessed Sacrament in 1673, and -who men- 
tions that he found in a missal, dated 1373, the picture 
of a bishop carrying a sacred Host in a monstrance or 
ostensorium — for both mean the same — with one side 
partly of glass. The imparting of a blessing at the close 
of the procession was added in time, but for what reason, 
or at what precise date, has not been ascertained with 
<}ertainty. The Forty Hours' Adoration — for that is the 
correct name — grew out of these processions and exposi- 
tions. The failhful, and the reverend clergy, who were 
their leaders, seeing by the light of faith that the Real 
Presence was tlie source of all good, found their devo- 



the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, 127 

tion so much enkindled by beholding their Kedeemer 
under the mystic veil of the sacramental species that 
they both longed for more than a passing glance, as it 
were, and a continuous exposition was introduced. The 
mystic number forty was fixed upon to count the hours, 
a number so conspicuous in the Sacred Scriptures ; and 
as it was to be a silent adoration, what more natural 
than that it should be had in honor of the forty hours 
during which the sacred body of Our Lord remained in 
the holy sepulchre, in the silent embrace of death ? 

At first there were two kinds of Forty Hours' Devo- 
tion. The former was celebrated during the Carnival, 
a festivity held on the two days immediately preceding 
Ash- Wednesday, during which the people were, and 
still are, in many places, accustomed to give themselves 
up to unbridled excesses, in which grievous sins were as 
a rule committed. Seeing this, many of the saints and 
other devout servants of God sought by various means 
to withdraw the people from them, on the one hand, 
and, on the other, to make reparation to the divine 
majesty by additional prayers and austerities. One 
of the means adopted in certain places was the exposi- 
tion of the Most Holy Sacrament for forty hours preced- 
ing the beginning of Lent. But it is not necessary to 
treat of this exposition, as the other has superseded it. 

Although authors are not agreed with regard to the 
date, place, and circumstances of the establishment of 
the Forty Hours' Adoration, yet they differ only in 
minor details, and the following from the Eacoolta 
(p. 79) must be accepted as the most reliable account : 
*' The prayer for forty hours together before the Blessed 
Sacrament, in memory of the forty hours during which 
the sacred body of Jesus was in the sepulchre, began in 
Milan, about the year 1534, Thence it spread into 



J 28 The Forty Hours' Adoration and 

other cities of Italy, and was introduced into Rome, 
for the first Sunday in every month, by the Archcon- 
fraternity of the Most Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims 
(founded by St. Philip IN'eri in the year 1548), and for 
the third Sunday in the month, by the Archconfra- 
ternity of Our Lady of Prayer, called La Morte, in the 
year 1551. This prayer of the Forty Hours was estab- 
lished forever by Pope Clement YIII., for the whole 
course of the year, in regular, continuous succession, 
from one church to another, commencing with the first 
Sunday in Advent in the chapel of the Apostolic Palace, 
as appears from the constitution Graves et Diuternce, 
iJTovember 25, 1592. This Pope was moved to estab- 
lish this devotion by the public troubles of holy Church, 
in order that day and night the faithful might appease 
their Lord by prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in 
solemn exposition." 

The first introduction .of the devotion seems to have 
been due to Father Joseph diFero of Milan, a Capuchin, 
who died in the year 1556. This beginning seems to 
have taken place in the year 1537, when Milan was 
desolated with a plague, and was also torn by civil 
strife.^ 

The constitution of Pope Clement VIII. referred to is 
commonly known as the Clementine Instruction, by 
w^hich the whole matter relating to the Forty Hours' 
Exposition was regulated for Catholic countries. But 
there are certain modifications permitted in missionary 
countries, of which mention will be made as we proceed. 
There has been, as we have seen, a gradual development 
in the external devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament, 
by which it has been brought down to what we have at 

^ " Catholic Dictionary," p. 331 ; " A Manual of Devotion for the 
Forty Hours," p. 6. 



the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, 129 

present. First, there was the procession with the 
sacred Host concealed, which was made on but one or 
two days in the year ; next, the procession with the 
Blessed Sacrament exposed to view ; then the short 
procession with the long-continued exposition ; after 
that the benediction during and at the close of the 
Forty Hours ; and, finally, the benediction after a short 
exposition and without the procession, and that once or 
oftener in the week. But we have only meagre details 
of the manner in which the gradual development was 
effected. Many a reader, however, will remember the 
time when both the Forty Hours' Adoration and the 
benediction were rare in this country. 

Speaking of the Forty Hours' Devotion, Cardinal 
"Wiseman remarks : '' In no other time or place is the 
sublimity of our religion so touchingly felt. No cere- 
mony is going on in the sanctuary, no sound of song is 
issuing from the choir, no voice of exhortation proceeds 
from the pulpit, no prayer is uttered aloud at the altar. 
There are hundreds there, and yet they are engaged in 
no congregational act of worship. Each heart and soul 
is alone in the midst of a multitude ; each uttering its 
own thoughts, and each feeling its own grace. Yet are 
you overpowered, subdued, quelled into a reverential 
mood, softened into a devotional spirit, forced to medi- 
tate, to feel, to pray. The little children who come in, 
led by a mother's hand, kneel down by her in silence, as 
she simply points toward the altar, overawed by the 
still splendor before them ; the very babe seems hushed 
to quiet reverence on her bosom." * 

I can see no reason why some prayer-books, and 
some newspapers announcing the Forty Hours' Devo- 
tion, continue to call it the " Quarant' Ore." The ex- 

1 " Essays," vol. ii. pp. 269, 270. 



130 The Forty Hours' Adoration and 

pression is not understood by some persons, and it 
savors of pedantry. The English language in this as in 
all else is sufficiently expressive. Another abuse, which 
I have seen condemned somewhere in the Acta Sanctoe 
JSedis, is that of decorating the altar at the Forty Hours^ 
more carefully in the evening or at other times when a 
larger concourse of people is expected, as it were to 
please them instead of honoring Our Lord. It is true 
indeed that the Church very wisely makes use of 
external pomp to excite devotion, since we are greatly 
influenced by what we receive through the senses ; but 
this is only a means to an end. The end is the adora- 
tion of Our Saviour in the Most Holy Sacrament. 

It is not certain who introduced the devotion of the 
Forty Hours into the United States ; but it was most 
probably either Archbishop Kenrick of Baltimore or 
Bishop Neumann of Philadelphia, and about the year 
1854. Finding that the Clementine Instruction could 
not be followed out in this country, so far as keeping 
the Blessed Sacrament exposed for the forty hours con- 
tinuously. Archbishop Kenrick applied to the Holy See 
for such modifications of it for his archdiocese as circum- 
stances demanded; and Pius IX., by a rescript dated 
December 10, 1857, granted the following, which were, 
at the request of the Fathers of the Second Plenary 
Council of Baltimore, extended to the whole United 
States in 1868 : 

'* 1. That, as long as circumstances require it, the 
Blessed Sacrament may be exposed to public adoration, 
in the form of the Forty Hours' Prayer, in all the 
churches and oratories of the diocese of Baltimore once 
or twice a year, as the archbishop may think best in the 
Lord, in the daytime only, and that at night it may be 
replaced in the tabernacle. 2. That the procession may 



the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, 131 

be omitted, even inside the church, if it cannot properly 
be had. 3. To all the faithful, of either sex, he grants 
the indulgence of seven years, and as many quarantines 
to be gained each day that they visit the church where 
the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and remain there for 
some time in prayer, and a plenary indulgence to all who, 
besides visiting the church where the Blessed Sacrament 
is exposed, and praying there once on each of the three 
days, also go to confession and receive Holy Commun- 
ion." ^ But, according to a more recent decree, three 
visits are not necessary to gain the plenary indulgence." ^ 

It is not the intention to speak of local customs, but 
there is one which it may not be out of place to notice : 
that of closing the devotion on the evening of the third 
day, instead of on the morning of the day following, 
and with the Mass. This does not appear to be in 
harmony with the spirit of the Church, although the 
full period of forty hours may have been reached, from 
the fact that there is a Mass of reposition for the con- 
clusion of the devotion, as well as one of exposition for 
its commencement ; and the rubrics connect the one as 
intimately with the devotion as the other. Yet if the 
Mass of" reposition is said on the morning before the de- 
votion closes, or on the morning after, it does not fulfil 
its purpose, and is in no sense a Mass of reposition, being 
entirely separated from the act of reposing the Blessed 
Sacrament in the tabernacle and closing the exposition. 

This being a silent devotion, as its name indicates, 
and as its purpose shows, it is not the intention of the 
Church that sermons should be preached during its 
continuance. But inasmuch as sermons are under 

^ " Manual of Devotion for the Forty Hours* Prayer," p. 10; " Con- 
cillii Plenar, Baltiraorensis," ii. N. 376. 
2 Wapelhorst, p. 339. 



132 The Forty Hours'^ Adoration and 

certain circum stances likely to be productive of good^ 
and will not interfere with the hearing of confessions, 
especially in the smaller country parishes, the bishop, 
should he deem it expedient, may grant permissions; 
but then the sermon should treat of the Most Holy Sacra- 
ment, and a veil should be placed before the monstrance. 
It is the custom in some places to open the tabernacle 
door during Mass. This may be termed a kind of ex- 
position, and is permitted by a decree of March 16, 1876. 

II. 

According to the learned Thiers, already referred to, 
the giving of benediction with the Most Holy Sacrament 
is of recent origin; but just when it was introduced, 
and the manner in which it extended till it has become 
so common in the Church, it would be difficult if not 
impossible to say. 

There are three kinds of benediction — that with the 
pyx, when communicating the sick ; that with the cibo- 
rium in the church ; and that with the monstrance — 
upon each of which remarks will be made. And first, 
of benediction when communicating the sick. It is 
superfluous to state that in Catholic countries the Holy 
Viaticum is borne in a solemn manner to the house of 
the sick ; and the ritual directs that after the sick 
person has received, the priest shall make the sign of 
the cross with the pyx over those present. This is also 
to be done when the Blessed Sacrament has to be 
carried secretly to the sick, as among us, so long as 
there is a sacred Host in the pyx, as when more than 
one is to receive. 

The second kind of blessing is that given with what is 
called in the language of the ritual the pyx, but which 
is commonly known among us as the ciborium, or sacred 



the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. 133- 

vessel in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the^ 
tabernacle on the altar. By a decree of the Sacred 
Congregation, dated September 11, 1847, this blessing 
is only to be given where such a custom exists, and with 
the permission of the bishop on account of the existence 
of the custom.^ When imparted it differs from that 
given with the monstrance, and has the following cere- 
monial : The tabernacle is opened, but the ciborium is 
not taken out ; the singing and incensing take place as 
at the ordinary benediction ; and the same versicle, re- 
sponse, and prayer are sung; after which the priest takes 
the ciborium from the tabernacle, envelops it in the 
extremity of the shoulder veil, and, turning to the people, 
blesses them. It is seldom, however, that this blessing 
is given among us. 

Little need be said of the third form of benediction — 
that given with the monstrance ; it is so frequently 
seen in all our churches that the faithful are quite 
familiar with it. Although the provincial or plenary 
councils of the various countries fix the times when 
benediction may be given, the matter is still left to a 
very great extent to the prudent judgment of the bishops;. 
and both priests and people are accustomed to look to 
them for guidance in the matter. Late decrees of the 
Sacred Congregation of Eites permit the singing of 
hymns and the recitation of prayers in the vernacular 
during the exposition before the Tantum Ergo."^ 

According to several decrees of the same Sacred Con- 
gregation, benediction must always be given in silence. 
When imparted by a priest he makes one sign of the 
cross with the monstrance ; when given by a bishop he- 
makes three. This principle, it will be observed, is also- 
carried out in several other blessings. 

^ 1 Wapelhorst, pp. 348, 349. « Ibid., pp. 168, 338. 



134 The Forty Hours' Adoration. 

The indulgences, plenary and partial, that may be 
.gained by those who devoutly perform the Forty Hours 
have already been mentioned ; but it will be of advan- 
tage to make a few remarks upon them. It frequently 
happens that persons will go to confession on the 
Saturday preceding the opening of the devotion, and to 
Holy Communion at an early Mass. Will this confession 
and Communion suffice for gaining the indulgence? 
This is an important question. Dr. Smith discusses it 
.at length, and, on the authority of Benedict XIY., 
answers it in the affirmative.^ Again, inasmuch as the 
object of the Forty Hours is not simply to induce people 
to receive the sacraments of penance aiid Holy Eucha- 
rist, but their reception is made a necessary condition 
lor gaining the plenary indulgence, is it essential that 
they should be received in the church where the exposi- 
tion takes place ? It is not. They may be received in 
any church, provided the other conditions are complied 
with. It may also be remarked that theologians hold 
that in order to gain a plenary indulgence it is only 
necessary to be in the state of grace when the last of the 
conditions enjoined is fulfilled. 

As Vespers in the evening takes the place in some sort 
of the Mass in the morning, and closes the day, as it 
was begun, by a solemn act of divine worship, so does 
the benediction by our divine Lord after the one corre- 
spond to that given in His name by His minister after 
the other, and supplies in a measure for the deficiency 
between the Vespers and the Adorable Sacrifice. And 
all go to strengthen the claims of holy Church to be 
^called our Mother. 

* " Notes on the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore," pp. 221-226. 



The Eosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 135 



XI— THE EOSARY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN 
MARY. 

* ' Who for us men and for our salvation came down 
from heaven, and became .incarnate by the Holy Ghost 
of the Virgin Mary, and was made man." How pro- 
found the mystery honored by the priest of God on 
bended knees in the adorable sacrifice of the Mass ! How^ 
full of meaning the words that follow in the symbol of 
our faith : '* He was crucified also for us, suffered under 
Pontius Pilate, and was buried ; and the third day He 
rose again according to the Scriptures." The Incarna- 
tion is the central point of the world's history. The 
end of the Incarnation was the Redemption, the most 
stupendous work of divine love. The wisdom of the 
Church is admirably displayed in uniting these two- 
greatest of her mysteries in a devotion so simple that it 
is within the range of the most limited intelligence, and 
so profound as to afford subjects of meditation for the- 
deepest mind. The holy Rosary ! What a vast mine of 
spiritual wealth ! what an inexhaustible fountain of 
grace ! The humiliation of the Incarnation and the 
suffering and ignominy of the Redemption are the 
remedies which the Eternal Father, in His infinite wis- 
dom, proposed for the pride of poor fallen nature. The 
remembrance of them, which the Rosary places before- 
our minds, cannot but be a sovereign remedy for the evils 
of the unhappy times in which we live. 

Before entering upon our subject I shall premise by^ 
saying that it is the common Rosary of fifteen mysteries 
that I propose to treat of, and not any of the various. 



136 The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

other chaplets or rosaries now in use among Christians.^ 
Such of them as are approved by the Church are good 
and to be commended ; but they do not enter into the 
scope of this essay. 

Our divine Saviour foretold to His Apostles that they 
;and their followers should be hated by all men for His 
name's sake ; that they were to meet with persecution 
because they were not of the world, as He was not of 
the world. But the Church was soon to discover that 
her enemies were not always to be of the same character, 
nor were they to wage war against her with the same 
weapons. Extraordinary trials were to be encountered 
:at intervals, which were to be a test of the constancy, 
not only of her ordinary children, but also of the elect. 
She also learned that He who permitted these trials 
provided also a remedy, as her history in all ages amply 
testifies. An Arius was to have his Athanasius, an 
Abelard his Bernard, a Luther his Ignatius, and so of 
her other enemies. But we are now concerned with the 
Albigenses, who rose in the southeast of France in the 
eleventh century, and devastated the Church at the same 
time that they defied the civil power. But no sooner 
was His flock threatened than the Good Shepherd came 
to its relief. 

Many efforts having been made both by the civil and 

^ The fifteen decades of the Rosary are divided into the five joyful 
mysteries, the five sorrowful mysteries, and the five glorious mys- 
teries. The joyful mysteries are: 1. The Annunciation; 2. The Visi- 
tation; 3. The Birth of Our Saviour; 4. The Presentation of our Lord 
In the Temple; 5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. The sorrow- 
ful mysteries are : 1. The Bloody Sweat of Our Saviour in the 
Garden ; 2. The Scourging at the Pillar ; 3. The Crowning with 
Thorns; 4. Jesus carrying His Cross; 5. The Crucifixion of Our Lord. 
The glorious mysteries are ; 1. The Resurrection of Our Lord ; 
■2. The Ascension of Our Lord; 3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost on 
the Apostles: 4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven; 
5. The Coronation of the blessed Virgin in Heaven . 



The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 137 

the religious power to suppress the outbreak of these 
heretics, but of which it does not enter into our present 
purpose to give a detailed account, St. Dominic — or 
Dominic Guzman, as he is called in profane history — 
entered the field against them with that burning zeal 
with which only a saint can be animated for the conver- 
sion of sinners. Dominic was born at Calarnega, a vil- 
lage of Old Castile, Spain, in the year 1170. He studied 
for the Church, and was ordained a priest at the age of 
twenty-three. He entered on the mission of preaching 
for the conversion of the heretics about the year 1205 ; 
founded the Order of St. Dominic, or Friar Preachers, 
as they are commonly called, on the loth of August, 
1217 ; and, finally, died at Eome, August 4, 1221. He 
employed his sanctity and eloquence in endeavoring to 
stem the tide of evil that had been set in motion by the 
Albigenses ; but his efforts, though heroic, were of com- 
paratively little avail. At length he ventured to com- 
plain to the holy Mother of God, for whom he enter- 
tained the tenderest devotion, and to ask her to instruct 
him in the way he could labor most successfully for the 
conversion of those misguided souls for whom her divine 
Son had laid down His life. His prayer was acceptable, 
and Mary revealed to him the devotion of the holy 
Eosary. He was told to give his time more to the prop- 
agation of this devotion than to preaching, and greater 
success would attend his efforts. This revelation took 
place about the year 1206, but the precise date cannot be 
ascertained. 

But though we owe the Rosary in its present form to 
St. Dominic, the idea was not original with him. The 
custom of repeating the same form of prayer, whether of 
praise or petition, is of great antiquity, and is natural 
to man, especially when he is under the influence of 



138 The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

strong emotion. The Jews were familiar with it, as 
may be learned from various passages of the Psalms, but 
more particularly from the 135th Psalm, in which the 
same words "for His mercy endureth forever " are re- 
peated twenty-seven times. Influenced no less by the 
custom of their fathers, the Jews, than by the example 
of our divine Kedeemer, who on a most solemn occasion 
in the Garden of Gethsemani thrice repeated ** the self- 
same words," ^ the Christians early adopted the form of 
repetition in their private as well as in their public devo- 
tions. This would especially be the case with the *' Our 
Father," which Jesus Christ Himself was pleased to 
teach His children as the most perfect form of praise and 
petition. The custom of this frequent repetition would 
naturally lead to the resolution, on the part of the more 
devout at least, of reciting daily a certain number of 
these prayers ; and this in its turn would suggest the 
propriety of adopting some means of counting them. 
The early Christians, being lovers of poverty, would 
naturally adopt some simple means, and this is proved 
from ecclesiastical history. Thus St. Palladius relates 
that St. Paul, the first hermit, who lived in the fourth 
century, was accustomed to recite three hundred * ' Our 
Fathers" daily, and used little pebbles or grains to 
count them. These counters were in time strung upon 
a string for greater convenience, and were called Pater 
JS'osters. Beads of different material, varying in value 
according to the ability, or perhaps in some cases, as at 
the present day, according to the vanity of those who 
possessed them, eventually came into use ; but it would 
be impossible to fix the date ; indeed, from the very 
nature of things, their introduction must have been 
gradual. It may be remarked, in passing, that the word 

1 St. Matthew, xxvi. 44. 



The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 139' 

head is of Christian origin, and proves by its derivation 
the use to which it was first applied. It is simply the^ 
Anglo-Saxon word lead^ which means prayer^ and which 
is allied to the German word 6e^en, to pray ^ especially 
to petition. 

Butler informs us that in early times, when many of 
the faithful were accustomed to assist at the public reci- 
tation of the Divine Office, or, if prevented, to perform 
some devotions at the same hours at their homes, 
" those who could neither read nor recite the Psalter by 
heart supplied this by a frequent repetition of the Lord's- 
Prayer ; and the many illiterate persons performed, at 
all the canonical hours of prayer, regular devotions, 
corresponding to those of the Psalter recited by the- 
clergy and many others. When the number of * Our 
Fathers ' was told by studs fastened on the belts wbich 
people then wore, these prayers were reckoned by so 
many belts. The ordinary use of the Angelical Saluta^ 
tion in this manner was not so ancient. Erimannus, in 
the twelfth age, mentions a lady who recited every day 
sixty Angelical Salutations."^ From this circumstance- 
the Rosary came to be called the Psaltery of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary. The name Rosary is derived from the 
title Mystical Rose, by which the Church salutes the 
holy Mother of God. 

St. Albert of Crispin and Peter the Hermit are men- 
tioned long before the time of St. Dominic as having taught 
the laity who could not read the Psalter to say a certain 
number of *'Our Fathers" and "Hail Marys" in lieu of 
each canonical hour of the Divine Office ; but, says^ 
Maurel (p. 223), *'in its present form, conformably to- 
repeated testimonies of the Roman Pontiffs, the Rosary 
has for its author St. Dominic." 

1 " Lives of the Saints," Festival of the Holy Rosary. 



140 The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

From the beginning the devotion of the holy Rosary 
became very popular with the faithful, and pontiffs and 
prelates were loud in its praises. A few of these ex- 
pressions of praise will no doubt be interesting to the 
reader, and will tend to increase his veneration for a 
devotion that is so highly commended. And first we 
have the words of the ever blessed Mother of God to 
St. Dominic : ''Preach the Rosary, which is a shield 
against the shafts of the enemy, the rampart of the Church 
of God, and the Book of Life. . . . Exhort everyone to 
be devout to the Rosary, and thou shalt produce wonder- 
iul fruit in souls." Says Pope Leo X.: ''The Rosary 
iias been established against the dangers which threaten 
the world." St. Pius V. : "By the Rosary the darkness 
of heresy has been dispelled, and the light of the Catho- 
lic faith shines out in all its brilliancy." Clement VII. : 
*' The devotion of the Rosary is the salvation of Chris- 
tians." Adrian YI. : "The Rosary scourges the devil." 
.Sixtus Y. : "The Rosary has been established by St. 
Dominic, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, for 
the utility of the Catholic religion." Gregory XYI. : 
' ' The Rosary is a wonderful instrument for the destruc- 
tion of sin, the recovery of God's grace, and the advance- 
ment of His glory." The well-known devotion of Pius 
IX. to the Blessed Yirgin, and the extraordinary impor- 
tance which Leo XIII. attaches to the Rosary, are too 
recent to require comment. 

A number of important questions relating to the holy 
Rosary will present themselves to the mind of the. 
thoughtful reader, the first of which would naturally be, 
What are the essential parts of the Rosary ? This question 
is all the more important owing to the numerous indul- 
gences with which the Church has enriched this devotion, 
and also on account of the various customs of different 



The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 141 

countries. Inasmuch as these customs are an expression 
of the devotion of different peoples to the holy Mother 
of God, a few of them will be placed before the reader. 
In Rome and in many other places it is customary to be- 
gin the Rosary with the versicle and response : '' Incline 
unto my aid, O God ! O Lord, make haste to help me."" 
This is followed by the *' Glory be to the Father," after 
which the mysteries are simply announced or named, as 
the ''Annunciation," the ''Prayer in the Garden," the 
■"Resurrection," etc., followed by the recitation of the 
"Our Father," ten " Hail Marys," and " Glory be to the 
Father." The devotion concludes either with the " Hail, 
holy Queen," or the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. In 
other places, and generally among us, the custom is to 
begin with the Apostles' Creed, the " Our Father," three 
"Hail Marys," and the "Glory be to the Father," after 
which follow the mysteries in order, with the "Hail, 
holy Queen," in the end. Instead of the mere names of 
the mysteries, some books of devotion have prayers be- 
fore and after each mystery ; these being intended to 
assist persons who may find it difficult to meditate or 
place the scene of the mystery vividly before their 
minds. Still another custom, more general, perhaps, 
among the Germans than among others, is that of ad- 
ding a few words, explanatory of the mystery then being 
meditated upon, after the holy Name of Jesus in the 
" Hail Mary"; as," Whom thou, O Virgin, didst conceive 
of the Holy Ghost," "Who for us didst sweat blood in 
the Garden," " Who didst rise from the dead," etc. Now, 
the question arises. How much of this — which is all very 
good in itself — is necessary to gain the indulgences 
attached to the recitation of the Rosary ? or, in other 
words, what are the essential parts of the Rosary ? 
All that is essential is the recitation of the fifteen 



143 The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

decades — or, where the Papal Briefs granting the in- 
dulgences permit, the recitation of only five decades — 
of one ''Our Father," and ten "Hail Marys" each, and 
meditating during the recitation on some mystery in th& 
life of Christ, where the same Papal Briefs require 
meditation as a necessary condition. It is to be observed^ 
however, that the indulgences granted for the recitation 
of the whole Rosary are also granted for the recitation 
of only one-third part of it, or five decades, except where 
the opposite is expressly declared, as is proven by the 
decrees of September 23, 1775, and February 25, 1877. 
The Creed, "Our Father," three "Hail Marys," and 
"Glory be to the Father," at the beginning of the 
Rosary ; the announcement of the different mysteries, 
or the prayers before and after them ; the " Glory be to- 
the Father " at the end of each decade ; the " Hail, holy- 
Queen," or the Litany at the conclusion, are not essential 
parts, and may all be omitted without forfeiting the in- 
dulgences. The essential parts of the holy Rosary are, 
then, one "Our Father " and ten "Hail Marys " repeated 
five times, and nothing more. 

Inasmuch as the Rosary in a measure takes the place 
among the laity which the Divine Office occupies among 
the clergy, the question arises, Is it permitted to inter- 
rupt the Rosary between the decades as it is to interrupt 
the Office between the different parts or "hours " ? The 
Office must be recited within the twenty-four hours of 
the day ; does the same privilege extend to the Rosary ? 
This question having been proposed for solution to the 
Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, it was decided by 
a decree dated January 22, 1858, that the whole Rosary 
cannot be divided into more than three parts, and that 
each such part must be said without interruption. " It 
is not sufficient, then, to recite the entire chaplet on the 



The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 143 

same day ; there must be, moreover, between the differ- 
ent parts of the five decades no notable interruption 
which would destroy the moral unity of the prayer." ^ 
The whole question, then, turns on the point, What is a 
^'notable interruption" ? 

An interruption of the Rosary, or of any other devo- 
tion, may be viewed in a twofold light : either with refer- 
ence to the actual length of time over which the inter- 
ruption extends, or with reference to the withdrawal of 
the mind from the devotion. If a person is called, for 
example, from the recitation of the beads to transact 
some secular business, which by its very nature with- 
draws the mind from prayer, it is different from inter- 
rupting the Rosary to take part in any other devotion ; 
for while the one by its nature stifles the spirit of prayer 
for the time, the other only withdraws the mind from 
one kind of prayer to turn it to another, and leaves 
the spirit of prayer undisturbed. Says Konings of the 
Stations of the Cross, which he afterward applies 
to the Rosary : * * An interruption which would be 
made to hear Mass, to go to confession, or to receive 
Holy Communion is not morally an interruption, be- 
cause it does not divert the mind to extraneous things." ^ 
Hence, according to him, this would not constitute a 
** notable interruption," and would not forfeit the in- 
dulgences. 

It may be further inquired. What omissions in the 
recitation of the beads would be sufficient to lose the in- 
dulgences ? All authorities agree that if a person were 
ito omit a '^notable part " he would lose these graces, and 
the same is true in regard to the conditions prescribed 
for the gaining of any other indulgence ; but if • the 

1 Maurel, p. 227. 

2 "Theologia MoraUs," N. 1788, 3. 



144 The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

omission is of only a small part the indulgence is not 
thereby endangered. But it is difficult to determine 
what precisely constitutes a " notable part." In general 
it may be safely concluded, with Konings and other 
theologians, that the omission of the fifth part of the 
prayers or other good works prescribed would be enough 
to forfeit the indulgence. Whether less would suffice or 
not they do not say. 

Still another inquiry is rendered necessary owing to 
the fact that human ingenuity has found means of manu- 
facturing beads from an almost endless variety of 
materials. Of what materials must beads be made in 
order that the Church will permit them to be in- 
dulgenced, and what materials are forbidden ? In- 
dulgences may be attached in general to beads — and the 
same is true of statues and crucifixes —made of any solid 
material, or such as is not easily broken ; and although 
it was formerly forbidden to indulgence beads, etc., 
made of wood or iron, that prohibition has been with- 
drawn. Even glass beads may be indulgenced, if the 
beads are solid, and not hollow.^ 

What are we to conclude with regard to giving our 
beads away or lending them to another ? 

'* 1. Beads are indulgenced for one person only. 
When a number of beads are blessed together it is- 
understood that each of them is blessed for the person 
who, being the owner of it, or one to whom the owner 
has given it gratuitously, is the first to use it with the 
intention of gaining the Rosary indulgences. 

**2. If a person lend his indulgenced beads to a 
friend merely to accommodate him to count his beads, 
and not for the purpose of enabling him to gain the 

» Decree of February 29, 1820. 




See page 135. 



The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 145 

indulgences attaelied to them, the beads do not in this 
case cease to be indulgenced for him who lent them. 

"3. If the beads are lent or given with the intention 
of enabling another to gain the indulgences, the beads 
simply cease to be indulgenced at all, as well for the 
lender as for the receiver. They must be blessed again 
to become indulgenced. 

* ' 4. If one took the beads without the knowledge or 
consent of the owner, they do not in this case, we 
believe, cease to be indulgenced. The Congregation has 
decided that the loss of the indulgence applies to the 
case where the owner lends or gives them for the purpose 
of enabling another to gain the indulgence."^ 

If beads that have been indulgenced are lost they 
have no indulgence for the one who finds them, but he 
may have them indulgenced for himself. The same is 
true of beads which a person inherits from a parent 
or friend. It is also to be remembered that a person 
is not permitted to sell beads that have been indul- 
genced, even though he charge no more for them than they 
would sell for before they were blessed. Such sale 
would cause the beads to lose their indulgence alto- 
gether.' To charge a higher price for them because 
they are blessed would not only forfeit the indulgence^ 
but would also be the sin of simony. 

Once more : the holy Kosary to some extent takes 
the place of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin ; the 
question thence arose : ** That Office is divided in such 
a manner that the first Nocturn is recited on Mondays 
and Thursdays, the second on Tuesdays and Fridays, 
and the third on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Now, 

1 Irish Ecclesiastical Record, 1883, pp. 195, 196 ; decrees of January 
10, 1839 ; March 12, 1855 ; and February 13, 1845. 

2 Decree of June 4, 1821 ; Maurel, pp. 257, 258. 



146 The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

can or should the three different series of the Joyful, 
the Sorrowful, and the Glorious Mysteries of the Kosary 
be recited on these days of the week in the same man- 
ner ? When this question was proposed to the Sacred 
Congregation the response was that, although everyone 
is free to select whichever five mysteries he prefers to 
recite, yet the custom of dividing off the whole Kosary 
in the same manner as the Little Ofl&ce is coming into 
use, and meets with the approbation of the Holy See. 
According to this arrangement, the five Joyful Mysteries 
are recited on Mondays and Thursdays, the five Sorrow- 
ful Mysteries on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the five 
Glorious Mysteries on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Satur- 
days/ 

It may be further remarked that, where the Papal 
Briefs granting indulgences for the recitation require 
meditation as one of the conditions, it is not enough to 
meditate on any pious subject ; the meditation must 
always be on some mystery in the life of our divine 
Kedeemer. If this point is neglected the indulgences 
are not gained.' 

There are three forms of blessii% by which indulgences 
are attached to beads : the Dominican, the Bridgetine, 
and the Papal or Apostolic. And first of the Dominican. 
The holy Kosary having been revealed to St. Dominic by 
the Mother of God, it is natural to expect that the Do- 
minicans should have special privileges in the matter of 
blessing rosaries. And so it is, according to the decrees 
of several Sovereign Pontiffs. To impart these indul- 
gences a certain form of words and the use of holy water 
are necessary in blessing the beads.^ 

So numerous are the indulgences attached to the reci- 

* Decree, July 1, 1839. 2 Decree, August 13, 1726. 

3 Decree, February 29, 1864. y 



The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 147 

tation of the Kosary that no attempt will be made to 
state them in this place ; the reader is simply recom- 
mended to form an intention, when reciting the beads^ 
to gain all the indulgences within his reach. 

The conditions required for gaining the Dominican 
indulgences are stated in the Raccolta (pp. 170, 171) in 
these words : ** To gain these indulgences it is required 
that the rosaries should be blessed by the religious of 
the Order of Friar Preachers, and that while the prayers 
are being said meditation be made on the mysteries of 
the birth, passion, death, resurrection, etc., of Our Loud 
Jesus Christ, according to the. decree of the Sacred Con- 
gregation of Indulgences, August 12, 1726, approved by 
Benedict XIII. This Pope declared, moreover, in his-- 
Constitution Pretiosus, May 26, 1727, § 4, that those 
who cannot meditate may gain the indulgence by merely- 
saying the Kosary devoutly." These indulgences are- 
applicable to the souls in purgatory. It is also to be re- 
membered that in order to gain the Dominican indul- 
gences it is sufficient, when the Eosary is said in common 
by a number of persons, that one of the company have 
a string of beads that has been indulgenced, and that he- 
use it in the recitation, in order that all the company 
may gain the indulgences attached to it ; provided, as 
the decree states, that all those who unite in the recita- 
tion withdraw their minds from all other affairs, and ap- 
ply them to the devotion in which they are engaged.^ 

As to the Bridgetine indulgence, ''this chaplet is so 
called because we are indebted for it to St. Bridget (of 
Sweden), who first conceived the notion of circulating its 
use. She intended by means of the devotion to honor 
the sixty-three years which, in the opinion of many, the 
Blessed Virgin spent upon earth. Consequently it is 
1 Decree, January 22, 1858. 



148 The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

composed of six decades, each containing one *Our 
Father,' ten * Hail Marys,' and a Creed instead of the 
* Glory be to the Father.' To make up the number 
seven, an ^ Our Father ' is added in honor of the Seven 
Dolors and Seven Joys of Mary, together with three 
^ Hail Marys ' to complete the sixty-three years. 

*' Nevertheless, the indulgences of this chaplet can be 
applied as well to rosaries as to the ordinary beads of 
five decades. But for this application a special faculty 
is requisite, since, agreeably to a decree of January 28, 
1842, the ordinary power of indulgencing chaplets is not 
sufficient. At the same time the Briefs from Rome to 
bless and indulgence chaplets, medals, etc., generally 
contain that faculty. Bear in mind also that, in accord- 
ing the power to apply the Bridgetine indulgence to 
rosaries, the Briefs do not by that act give power to 
bless the real chaplets of St. Bridget, constituted of six 
decades, as above. The faculty was reserved to the 
Superior of the Order of St. Saviour, or of St. Bridget, 
or to the priests of the same Order deputed for that ob- 
ject. Hence, as this Order does not exist at present, the 
popes grant permission to annex to ordinary chaplets 
the indulgences of St. Bridget. Yet, as already stated, 
this delegation exclusively regards chaplets of five 
decades, without any reference to the chaplets of St. 
Bridget made up of six decades. This has been repeat- 
edly declared by the Sacred Congregation, particularly 
in the decrees of January 15, 1839, September 25, 1841, 
and January 28, 1842. 

* * '. . . To participate in the indulgences of the chap- 
let of St. Bridget it is not necessary to meditate on the 
mysteries of OUr Lord and the Blessed Virgin." ^ No 
formula is required for blessing the beads; it is sufficient 

1 Maurel, pp. 273, 275. 



The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 149 

that the priest merely make -the sign of the cross over 
them, T\-ithout saying a word, and without sprinkling 
them with holy water/ 

Turning, finally, to the Papal or Apostolic blessing, 
the history of its origin is given in the Raccolta (p. 444) 
in these words : "However ancient may have been the 
custom of the Sovereign Pontiifs to bless and distribute 
to the faithful sacred articles of gold, silver, or other 
metals (whence originated the pontifical blessing and 
distribution of crosses, crucifixes, rosaries, medals, etc.), 
3'et it would seem that previous to the sixteenth century 
no indulgences were annexed to such articles. Pope 
Sixtus v., on the rebuilding of the patriarchal Lateran 
arch-basilica (when by the falling of the walls of the 
former building in various places were found many 
medals of gold, on which were impressed the holy cross, 
and other figures bearing the cross), caused a distribu- 
tion to be made of them, and granted many indulgences 
to those who had any of these medals in their possession, 
provided they fulfilled certain works enjoined them, as 
we learn from the Constitution Laudemus viros, Decem- 
ber 1, 1587. From that time the popes, his successors, 
annexed indulgences to other objects besides medals 
blessed by them, — such as chaplets, rosaries, crosses, 
crucifixes, etc., — persuaded that the usage of these 
sacred objects excites in the minds of the faithful faith 
and acts of adoration toward God and reverence for the 
Elessed Virgin and the saints." 

In order to gain these indulgences it is necessary that 
the beads — for we are treating of them only — should be 
blessed by the Sovereign Pontiff, or by a priest having 
the requisite faculties from him. The bishops of this 
and other missionary countries are as a rule empowered 

1 Irish Eccl. Record. 1882, p. 753. 



150 The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

to grant this faculty to their priests; and for that reason 
the priests of the United States are able to attach the 
Apostolic indulgences to rosaries, and thus place these 
indulgences within the reach of such of the faithful as 
may wish to gain them. No particular formula is re- 
quired for this blessing : it is sufficient to make the sign 
of the cross over the objects, without saying a word, or 
sprinkling them with holy water. 

It is further to be noted that these indulgences are 
not attached to the beads themselves, or to their recital, 
as those of St. Dominic and St. Bridget are ; on the con- 
trary, the beads in this case hold the place of some other 
blessed object— as a cross, a medal, etc. Hence, with- 
out reciting the beads, the person may gain the Apostolic 
indulgences, provided he fulfil the conditions prescribed. 
*'To gain these indulgences it is necessary for one ta 
carry about him the blessed object, or, at any event, ta 
have it in his possession. Moreover, the pious consider- 
ations or prayers assigned as conditions for sharing in 
the indulgences must be made either while carrying the 
articles, or at least when kept in one's room, or other 
suitable place in the house, so that the prayers be recited 
before them." ^ From this the reader will perceive that 
actual ownership and possession of the beads, or any 
other object to which these indulgences have been 
attached, are necessary conditions for partaking of these 
spiritual favors, and that, consequently, it is not enough, 
as in the case of the Dominican indulgences, that one 
person of the company, when a number of persons recite 
the Rosary together, should have an indulgenced string 
of beads. The Apostolic indulgences are applicable to- 
the souls in purgatory.^ 

The Bridgetine, the Apostolic, and the Dominican in- 

1 Maurel, pp. 259, 264, note. 2 Eaccolta, p. 448 



The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 151 

dulgences may all be attached to the same string of 
beads, and may all be gained by the person who recites 
them, provided he fulfils the conditions required for 
€ach. 

Considering the excellence of tha holy Rosary in itself 
and the numerous indulgences, both plenary and partial, 
with which it has been enriched by the Holy See, need 
we wonder that the spirit of evil should make it the ob- 
ject of his most violent and insidious attacks, and that 
he should succeed in making it unpopular with many 
persons ? Poor, deluded mortals \ Let them learn from 
those who were real lights in the Church, real servants 
of the Mother of God, the mistake they are making. St. 
Dominic, to whom the Rosary was revealed, and whose 
Order is justly regarded as one of the most learned in 
the Church, w^as not ashamed to recite the beads, and 
with all his energy, eloquence, and zeal recommended 
the devotion to all who came within his reach. St. 
Alphonsus Liguori was most devoted to the Rosary, and 
we read in his Life that it was revealed to him that his 
eternal salvation depended upon his daily performance 
of this devotion. Of St. Francis of Sales it is related 
that he spent an hour every day in the recitation of the 
holy Rosary. Yet these were men as remarkable* for 
their learning as they were for their sanctity. No ; to 
underestimate the holy Rosary is not an evidence of 
learning, but a sign of ignorance and pride, and of a 
very low standard of piety. I can have no patience with 
such people ; let us have no more of them. 



153 The Brown Scapular, 



XII.— THE SCAPULAR OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT 
CARMEL, OR BROWN SCAPULAR. 

The purpose of this essay is to give a brief account of 
the origin, the graces, and the indulgences of the Brown 
Scapular, with the conditions upon which these spiritual 
favors may be gained. Since the introduction of this 
scapular into general use among the faithful, so many 
questions have been proposed to the Sacred Congrega- 
tion of Rites or to the Superior- General of the Carmelites 
relating to it that it is difficult for many to know what 
precisely is necessary to be done in order to reap all the 
spiritual advantages which the Church in her liberality 
has granted to the devout wearers of this livery of Mary, 
Some persons may do more than is necessary, while 
others may do less ; and while the members of the one 
class err by imposing unnecessary obligations upon 
themselves, those of the other commit a greater mistake 
in failing to fulfil what is prescribed, and hence reap 
little advantage. Another difficulty which priests too 
ofteu meet with in propagating devotions of this kind is 
that in almost every congregation one or more devout 
persons are found who are looked upon by the rest as 
authorities in matters relating to devotions which pious 
Catholics are accustomed to practise, whether such 
persons are learned or not ; and here, as elsewhere, it 
generally turns out that a little learning is a bad thing. 
Such pious souls, being anxious to extend the devotion 
to which they are particularly attached, will recommend 
it to others, and, either from the very excess of their 
unenlightened piety, or from the desire of making the 



The Brown Scapular, 153 

gaining of indulgences doubly sure, are not infrequently 
prompted to make unwarranted additions to the condi- 
tions which the Church has laid down for the securing 
of these spiritual treasures, or to interpret them more 
strictly than the letter of the grant warrants, which 
amounts to about the same thing. And, to increase the 
diflBculty, it will too often be found that people will take 
the word of these persons in preference to that of the 
priest ; at least such has been my experience. It is 
much to be desired that these pious souls were either 
more enlightened or more diffident. 

But all this aside, we owe the scapular to the direct 
intervention of the holy Mother of God, who in this new 
proof of her love for man chose St. Simon Stock as her 
instrument. This devout servant of Mary was a native 
of England, who had attached himself to the Order of 
Our Lady of Mount Carmel soon after its introduction 
into his native land, had made such progress in the 
science of the saints, and had displayed such prudence, 
that he was ere long elected Superior- General of the 
Carmelites of the West. The scapular was revealed to 
him in a celebrated vision with which the Mother of God 
favored him on the 16th of July, 1251, at Cambridge. 
Holding the scapular in her hand, she said : '* Receive, 
my beloved son, this scapular of thy Order ; it is the 
special sign of my favor, which I have obtained for thee 
and for thy children of Mount Carmel. He who dies 
clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal 
fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of 
danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection." 
This address of the Mother of God is given in different 
words by different writers, but all agree substantially. 
The vision has been called in question by certain writers ; 
but when it is stated that it has been confirmed by many 



154 The Brown Scapular. 

well-authenticated miracles, that Pope Benedict XIV. ^ 
among others, accepted it as genuine, and that the in- 
dulgences granted by several Sovereign Pontiffs also 
suppose its genuineness, there is little room left for 
cavilling. 

It is not the intention to pause to inquire into the 
manner in which this devotion became, in a very short 
time, extended not only among the members of the 
Order to which it had been granted, but also among 
such of the faithful — and they were many— who wished 
to place themselves under the special protection of the 
august Mother of God. Nor shall any of the miracles 
be adduced by which it pleased Almighty God from time 
to time to confirm the belief and confidence of the faith- 
ful in the promises of the Mother of His divine Son. It 
will be more profitable to turn to the various questions 
that have arisen in the lapse of years in connection with 
the devotion of the scapular. 

The word scapular is derived, like many others, from 
the Latin, and means the shoulder-blade, or, in the 
plural, in which it is more commonly found, the 
shoulders. As a garment, the scapular is a broad piece 
of cloth, with an aperture in it for the head, which 
hangs down in front and at the back almost to the 
ground, as may be seen in the habits of the Carmelites, 
the Benedictines, and some other religious Orders. The 
scapular worn by the faithful is a symbol of that worn 
by the religious of ih.Q Order of Mount Carmel. In 
form it is essential that it should consist of two parts, 
each oblong or square, — in accordance with the custom 
that has long been observed and is sanctioned by the 
Church, — fastened together with two strings, so that one 
part may hang on the breast and the other on the back. 
"When the Sacred Congregation was consulted as to 



The Brown Scapular. 155 

Avhether it was lawful to make scapulars of an oval, 
round, or polygonal form, the response was that no in- 
novation should be made ; in other words, that the form 
op to that time in use should be retained as the only 
proper one.^ As regards the material of which it is law- 
ful to make scapulars, it must be woollen cloth ; cotton, 
silk, or other material is strictly forbidden ; and by the 
word cloth is meant woven cloth, so that if threads of 
w^oollen were knit or worked with the needle into the 
form of a scapular it would not do. In color the scapu- 
lar must be brown or black. The habit of the Car- 
melites, of which it is a symbol, is brown, and hence 
that has always been regarded as the proper color for 
the scapular ; but it was maintained by some that the 
wool of a black sheep, inasmuch as it was the natural 
oolor of the wool, and not dyed, would also be permitted. 
When the question was brought before the Sacred Con- 
gregation it replied that the members of the confra- 
ternity gained the indulgences although the scapular 
was not exactly brown, provided the color substituted 
for brown was something similar to it, or black. ^ It is 
permitted, although it is not necessary, to ornament the 
scapular with needle-work, even though the ornamenta- 
tion is of a different color from that of the scapular ; 
nor need such ornament be worked with woollen thread ; 
silk, cotton, or other thread may be used. But it is 
essential that the necessary color of the scapular should 
predominate. It is not necessary to work any image or 
picture on the scapular ; it may, however, be done if the 
color of the scapular is left to predominate.^ 

Who may be invested with the scapular ? The Church 

1 Decree of August 18, 1868 ; Schneider, p. 686, No, 9. 

2 Decree of February 12, 1840 ; Schneider, p. 686, No. 8. 

3 Decree of August 18, 1868 ; Schneider, p. 686, No. 12. 



156 The Brown Scapular, 

not only permits, but also wishes that all the faithful 
should enroll themselves among the devout servants of 
Mary, as she wishes them to make use of all the means 
of grace which in her liberality she places within their 
reach ; and hence all Catholics may be lawfully and 
validly invested with the scapular, there being nothing 
in the bulls or briefs of the Sovereign Pontiffs to forbid 
it. Even infants who have not yet come to the use of 
reason may be invested ; and when they attain to the 
years of discretion it is not necessary for them to be 
again invested, or to do anything more than simply to 
comply with the necessary conditions for gaining the 
indulgences, and immediately they will begin to reap 
these spiritual advantages.^ 

By whom can a person be invested ? By a priest of 
the Carmelite Order, or by any other priest duly author- 
ized to invest with it. In this country it is customary 
for bishops to give all their priests the faculty of invest- 
ing with the scapular. A priest who has power to 
invest others may also invest himself. Whatever 
formulas were heretofore permitted for investing, the 
priest must now use the one prescribed by Pope Leo 
XIII., July 34, 1888. But one priest cannot bless the 
scapular, and another invest a person with it ; the bless- 
ing and investing must both be done by the same priest. 
The practice which obtained in some places of giving 
blessed scapulars to pious laymen for distribution 
among the faithful is also forbidden under penalty of 
forfeiting all the graces and indulgences attached to the 
scapular. If the first enrolment of any person was 
invalid for any reason whatever, such as the scapular 
not being of the required material or form, or both 
parts being at one end of the strings, it is not sufficient 
1 Decree of August .*29, 1864 ; Schneider, p. 6. 



The Brown Scapular, 157 

for the person so enrolled to get a scapular and have it 
blessed; he must be again invested, as if he had never 
gone through the ceremony at all.^ 

As to the place and manner of receiving the scapular, 
a person may receive it in any becoming place ; and the 
sick may receive it in their beds. It is not necessary 
for the person being invested to hold the scapular in his 
hands ; it is sufficient that it be placed near him ; nor is 
a lighted candle necessary. But the priest who ift vests 
must himself, under penalty of nullity, place the scapu- 
lar on the neck of the person whom he invests. But 
when the first scapular is worn out or lost, or got rid of 
in any other way, all that is necessary is for the person 
to get another, and put it on without blessing or cere- 
mony. When a number of persons are invested at the 
same time, all the scapulars may be blessed at once ; 
but the form of investment must be repeated as each 
scapular is placed on the neck of the person who is to 
wear it, except in the case of some missionaries, who 
have special faculties for investing differently. But if 
a number of persons are to be invested at the same time, 
and there are not scapulars enough for all, the same one 
may be successively placed on several persons one after 
another, and each can afterward procure a scapular for 
himself ; but the first that each one wears must be 
blessed.^ It was formerly necessary that persons receiv- 
ing the scapular should have their names enrolled with 
the Carmelite Fathers at Rome ; but Pope Gregory 
XVI. dispensed with this obligation, April 30, 1838, 
which dispensation was confirmed by a decree of the 
Sacred Congregation of September 17, 1845. This priv- 

1 Decrees of March 7, 1840, August 24, 1844, June 16, 1872, and 
September 18, 1862. 

2 Schneider, pp. 686-688 ; decree of August 18, 1868. 



158 Tfte Brown Scapular, 

ilege of dispensing with the enrolment was, however, 
withdrawn by Pope Leo XIII. by a decree of April 27, 
1887 ; and by another decree of the same date he for- 
bade the investing with the brown scapular in connec- 
tion with others. It must be blessed and imposed by 
itself/ If a person puts off his scapular for a longer or 
shorter time, either through indifference, forgetful ness, 
or even contempt, and afterward resolves to commence 
wearing it, it is not necessary for him to be invested 
anew ; it is sufficient for him to put on the scapular 
again, and wear it, trusting in the mercy of God that he 
will again be made partaker of the spiritual favors at- 
tached to the pious confraternity.^ 

What are the spiritual advantages of wearing the 
•scapular ? First let us clearly understand what precisely 
is meant by wearing it, for on this depends the partici- 
pation in those graces. By wearing the scapular is 
meant that it be so adjusted upon the person.that one 
part hangs on the breast and the other on the back, one 
•of the strings passing over each shoulder. If both parts 
be carried on the breast, or both on the back, it is not 
wearing it, in the sense of the Church, and the person 
so acting would not be entitled to any of the graces or 
, indulgences. Much less would a person be entitled to 
them who carried the scapular in his pocket. To keep 
the scapular about him in any way might indeed be a 
sign of devotion to the Mother of God and of confidence 
in her protection, and as. such would receive a fitting 
reward ; but it would not in any sense be regarded as 
wearing it. It is not necessary that the scapular should 
t)e worn next the person ; it may be worn over or under 
any part of the clothing. The religious who wear the 

1 Irish Ecclesiastical Record, July, 1887, and May, 1889. 

2 Schneider, p. 68S, Nos. 22, 23. 



The Brown Scapular. 15^ 

large scapular are accustomed, as we know, to have it 
outside their habit/ 

The spiritual advantages of wearing the scapular are 
fivefold : those which are received during life ; those 
received at the approach of death ; those after death ; 
the Sabbatine indulgence or privilege ; and the other 
indulgences granted to those who wear the scapular. 
And, first, as regards the advantages that may be re-^ 
ceived during life, it is to be remarked that the mem-^ 
bers of the Confraternity of the Scapular are associated 
with the religious Order represented by that scapular,, 
which means that they participate in the fruit of all the- 
good works of the religious belonging to that Order ;. 
that is, in the fruit of their prayers, meditations, Masses, 
fasting, penances, alms, and all else that goes to form 
the spiritual treasures of the Order. ITow, the brown 
scapular represents the Order of Our Lady of Mount- 
Carmel. But the devout wearers of this scapular enjoy 
favors not granted to those who wear the other scapu- 
lars ; for Popes Clement YII. and Clement X. declared 
that the associates participated in a special manner ia 
the fruit not only of the spiritual works of the Carmel- 
ites, to whom they are united as a confraternity, but 
also in all the good done throughout the whole Catholic 
Church. The associates of this scapular have received, 
as we have seen, the promise of the Blessed Virgin, 
according to the revelation made to St. Simon Stock, to< 
be adopted as her favorite and privileged children, and 
to enjoy during life her special protection both for soul 
and body. 

Secondly, the favors granted at the approach of death 
to those who devoutly wear the scapular are that there 
is for them, like for those who wear the other scapulars^ 

^ Schneider, p. 686, No: 11. 



160 The Brown Scapular, 

a formula for a general absolution at the moment of 
death, independent of the ordinary *'Last Blessing,'^ 
which all the faithful are privileged to receive at their 
departing hour, as may be seen in another part of this 
work. Persons wearing the scapular are also encouraged 
to hope for the special assistance of the Mother of God 
at the moment of death, as she promised to St. Simon 
Stock: ''He who dies clothed with this scapular shall 
not suffer eternal fire." This is what is called the 
*'• privilege of preservation." It means that the Blessed 
Virgin, by her powerful intercession, will draw from 
the divine treasury in favor of the associates special 
graces to help the good to persevere to the end and to 
move sinners to avail themselves of favorable oppor- 
tunities of conversion before death seizes on them. 
This privilege may also mean that sometimes, owing to * 
the influence of the Blessed Virgin, the hour of death is 
postponed, to give an associate who is in sin a further 
opportunity of conversion ; and writers add that this 
privilege may sometimes be exemplified in the case of 
obstinate and obdurate sinners when God permits death 
to come upon them when they are not wearing the scap- 
ular, either as the result of forethought or from indiffer- 
ence or neglect. 

In the third place, as regards the graces after death, 
the deceased members of the confraternity have a spe- 
cial share in the fruit of the daily prayers of the Order 
of the Carmelites and of the Holy Sacrifice, which they 
offer once a week, and occasionally at other times dur- 
ing the year, for the deceased Carmelites and associates 
of the Carmelite Confraternity. 

Fourthly, the meaning of the " Sabbatine indulgence" 
is this : the associates of the Scapular of Carmel enjoy, on 
certain conditions, however, which we will mention later 



The Blown Scapular. 161 

on, the remarkable privilege known as the '^ privilege of 
delivery," or the " Sabbatine indulgence." This privi- 
lege refers to, and is grounded on, the promise of the 
Blessed Virgin, made to Pope John XXII., to withdraw 
promptly from purgatory, and especially on the first 
Saturday after death, associates of the Scapular of 
Carmel. The account of this revelation to Pope John 
XXII. is embodied in his famous Bull Sacratissiino 
uticulmine^ more commonly called the Sabbatine Bull, 
on account of the promise of deliverance on the first 
Saturday after death. The genuineness of this bull has 
been questioned on the ground of internal evidences of 
the absence of authenticity, and also because it is not 
found in the Roman bullarium. It is, however, printed 
in the bullarium of the Carmelites and in many other 
works. It may be further stated that Pope Benedict 
XIY. admits its authenticity.^ *' Leaving the discussion 
of the authenticity of this bull to others whom it con- 
cerns more directly, it is enough for us to know that the 
privilege of deliverance has been explained and sanc- 
tioned by succeeding Popes. Paul V., when giving per- 
mission to the Carmelite Fathers to preach this indul- 
gence to the faithful, explains the nature of it in this 
way : * The Carmelite Fathers,- he says, * are allowed to 
preach that the people can believe that the Blessed Vir- 
gin will help, by her continual assistance, her merits, 
and her special protection, after death, and particularly 
on Saturdays — the day consecrated by the Church to the 
Blessed Virgin — the souls of the members of the Con- 
fraternity of Mount Carmel who have died in the grace 

^ This question is ably discussed, with a conclusion in the affirma- 
tive, against certain doubts in an article on the scapular in the 
•• Catholic Dictionary," by a writer in the Irish Ecclesiastical Record 
for September and November, 1887. 



162 The Brown Scapular. 

of God, and who have in life worn her habit, observed 
chastity according to their state, and recited the Office 
of the Blessed Virgin, or, if they are not able to recite 
the Office, who have observed the fasts of the Church, 
and abstained from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays, 
except when Christmas falls on either of these days.' " ' 
In the Second Nocturn of the Office of the feast of Our 
Lady of Mount Carmel, given in the Koman Breviary, 
mention is made of this privilege in much the same 
language. We read in this Office: **It is piously be- 
lieved, since her power and mercy have everywhere 
great efficacy, that the Most Blessed Virgin consoles 
with special maternal affection the associates of this 
scapular, when detained in the fire of purgatory, who 
have practised certain light abstinences, repeated certain 
prescribed prayers, and observed chastity according to 
their state in life, and that she will endeavor to bring 
them to heaven sooner than would otherwise happen." 

To recapitulate. The conditions necessary for par- 
ticipating in the spiritual advantages of the scapular are 
the following : to observe exactly all that has been pre- 
scribed regarding the material, color, and form of the 
scapular ; to receive it from a priest duly authorized to 
invest with it ; and to wear it constantly in the manner 
prescribed. These are the only conditions for member- 
ship in the confraternity of the scapular. No prayers 
or good works are necessary, if w^e except the special 
advantages of the ^' privilege of deliverance" or '' Sab- 
batine indulgence," for which the following conditions 
in addition to those necessary for membership in the 
confraternity are required : 1. Chastity according to one's 
state of life ; 2. The daily recitation of the Little Office 
of the Blessed Virgin, or the abstinence on Wednes- 

1 Irish Ecclesiastical Record, 1883, pp. 329, 330. 



The Brown Scapular, 163 

days and Saturdays, as remarked above. Those who 
say the Divine Office, on which an essay will be found 
elsewhere in this work, comply by means of it with this 
condition, even though the Office is already, as in the 
case of priests, a work of obligation.^ 

Although the wearing of the scapular and the condi- 
tions prescribed for gaining the indulgences and other 
supernatural favors do not, absolutely speaking, induce 
any obligation binding in conscience, yet the person 
invested with the scapular, who through his own indif- 
ference or neglect should fail to fulfil the obligations of 
the confraternity, could not be regarded as free from at 
least some venial fault before God.^ To gain the plenary 
and partial indulgences that are granted in addition to 
the favors enumerated, it is necessary to fulfil the con- 
ditions prescribed for each of those particular indul- 
gences. 

I shall not give all the indulgences that are granted 
to those who devoutly wear the scapular and comply 
with the conditions, but shall quote from the Irish 
Ecclesiastical Record^ from which much of the last few 
pages is taken. ^ The writer says : * ' It is no small ad- 
vantage to have numerous indulgences specially granted 
on easy conditions in favor of those who wear the scapu- 
lar. These conditions vary a good deal, and to know 
exactly what are the conditions required for a particular 
indulgence we must examine the terms of the grant, or 
consult some approved book on indulgences that treats 
of it. To illustrate what we say we will mention a few 
of the indulgences granted in favor of those who wear 
the brown scapular, with the conditions attached. (1) 
A plenary indulgence on the day of receiving the scapu- 

^ Decree of February 12, 1840 ; Schneider, p. 689, No. 27. 
2 Schneider, p. 689, No. 26. s i883, pp. 326-333. 



164 The Brown Scapular, 

lar Conditions : confession and communion. (2) Plen- 
ary indulgence at the moment of death. Conditions : 
confession and communion, and the devout invocation 
with the lips, or at least with the heart, of the holy 
!Name of Jesus. (3) 100 days' indulgence. Conditions : 
devout recital of the Office of the Blessed Virgin. Thus 
each indulgence is granted on certain conditions, which 
can be known with accuracy only by investigating the 
particular case." Schneider (p. 380) further states that 
by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, 
June 22, 1865, all Masses said for the repose of the souls 
of deceased members enjoy the advantage of a privi- 
leged altar ; that is, a plenary indulgence is gained for 
the repose of the soul of the person for whom the Holy 
Sacrifice is offered. The same author gives all the 
other indulgences granted to the scapular, and the con- 
ditions upon which they may be gained. 

When the Superior-General of the Carmelites was 
asked whether the laying aside of the scapular for a day 
would forfeit the indulgences and other favors or not, 
he replied that, as one day was but a small part of the 
year, there was no reason why we should conclude that 
the indulgences would be forfeited." The reader cannot 
but conclude from what has been said that we possess 
in the Scapular of Our Lady one of the richest fountains 
of grace the Church in her liberality has opened to us. 

1 Schneider, p. 688, No. 20. 




St. Simon Stock Eeceiving the Scapular. 

See page 152. 



The Angeliis. 165 



XIIL— THE ANGELUS. 

"We cannot but admire the wisdom of the Church in 
summarizing so many of her principal doctrines in 
popular devotions. It both makes the devotions more 
attractive and intelligible and it impresses the doctrines 
more indelibly on the memory. When to this is added 
the performance of these devotions at stated times, the 
children of God are made to live and act more perfectly 
in harmony with the spirit of the ecclesiastical year. 
In the devotion of the holy Kosary, for example, is pre- 
sented a succinct history of the Blessed Virgin Mary ; 
the central mystery of the Incarnation, with the life, 
passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of our divine 
Kedeemer ; the coming of the Holy Ghost, and the 
glorious assumption of the Mother of God, with her 
coronation as Queen of heaven. In the Way of the 
Cross are represented the particulars of the dread drama 
of man's redemption. When performed on the Fridays 
of Lent, in the afternoon, it not only brings the Chris- 
tian into harmony with the spirit of the Church, but it 
moves his heart to conceive those sentiments of sorrow 
for his sins and that purpose of amendment which, 
though fitting at all times, are especially so at the season 
when the Church invites her children to repentance. 
The sign of the cross, too, is a lesson in our holy faith, 
recalling to our minds some of the principal mysteries 
of religion. But still more happy, in many respects, 
was the Church in instituting the devotion of the An- 
gelas. 

When God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees 



166 The Angehis. 

He said toliim; ^' Walk before Me, and be perfect."^ 
When Christ came upon earth He bade His followers 
pray always ; and when the Apostle of the Gentiles 
would instruct his faithful disciple he admonished him 
to meditate continually on the great truths w-hich he 
had taught him, and which he in turn was required to 
communicate to others. The exercise of frequently call- 
ing to mind the presence oi God is one of the most con- 
ducive to perfection, and this is admirably effected by 
means of the Angelus^ which raises our thoughts to God 
at morning, noon, and night, revives our remembrance 
of the principal mysteries of religion, enlivens our faith 
in them, increases our hope, enkindles our love, and 
awakens our gratitude. 

The history of the Angelus is, to some extent, in- 
volved in mystery ; for while certain points are known, 
others are disputed, and still others are unknown. 
Nothing in either Jewish or pagan antiquity resembled 
it. The former had indeed certain hours of prayer and 
fixed times for offering sacrifice, as may be learned 
from numerous passages of the Old Testament, and the 
latter also observed a degree of regularity in the per- 
formance of some religious rites ; but the AngeUis is 
purely Christian in its origin, its character, and its 
scope. It originated in the custom of ringing church 
bells at sunset. As early as the beginning of the thir- 
teenth century the custom arose of ringing church bells 
at that hour.^ It is most probable that the ringing of 
the church bells was introduced into different countries 
at different times ; and if this be true, the discrepancies 
of different authorities on the subject may perhaps be 
reconciled. Among the Latin nations this bell was 

^ Genesis, xvii. 1. 

2 "Kirclien-Lexicon," article Angelus Domini, 



The Angelas, 167 

called the ignitegium or the pyrotegium^ among the 
French the couvrefeit ; and among the English the cur- 
few^ which have all the same signification — a signal for 
the covering or extinguishing of all fires or lights, and 
retiring of the inmates o- the house to rest. This 
custom existed throughout all Europe during the Middle 
Ages, especially in cities taken in war. It was also a 
precautionary measure against fire, rendered to some 
extent necessary, owing to the peculiar construction of 
the houses in those times.* 

It is not probable that the Holy See ordered the reci- 
tation of certain prayers simultaneously with the intro- 
duction of the custom of ringing the church bells ; for 
while, on the one hand, the greater number of devotions 
are introduced by some pious person or community, and 
extend until they have gained a fair hold on the people of 
at least one diocese or country, or on the members of 
one religious Order, when application is made to the 
Holy See, and they are formally approved, and not in- 
frequently enriched with indulgences ; on the other 
hand, nothing would be more natural than that per- 
sons who were accustomed, as all good Christians are, 
to the regular performance of their daily devotions, 
would ere long fix upon the ringing of the bell as the 
signal for doing so. 

Devotion to the great mystery of the Incarnation, and 
to her through whom it pleased Almighty God to effect 
it, must ever be leading characteristics of the spiritual 
life of every Christian. But there were special reasons 
why this should be so about the time that the recitation 
of the Angelus was first introduced. The attention of 
the Christian world was then turned to the Holy Land, 
w^here the mystery of the Incarnation had been accom- 

^ " Encyclopaedia Britannica," article Curfew. 



168 The Angelas, 

plished, and where the supereminent virtues of Mary had 
shown in all the richness of living splendor. Add lo 
these circumstances the fact that so eminent a servant 
of Mary as St. Bernard was one of the most active in 
arousing the enthusiasm of the people to take up arms 
for the expulsion of the Mussulman from the holy 
places and their re-occupation by the Christians — a man 
whose love for Mary was only equalled by his eloquence 
in proclaiming her praises. Not only were his stirring 
appeals heard from the pulpit and the platform, but 
also in the assemblies of his religious brethren his fervid 
discourses and inspiring example infused his own spirit 
into them, and made them also so many advocates of 
the Mother of God. The same may be said of St. Bona- 
venture, who a little later proclaimed the praises of 
Mary in his own masterly way from the pulpit, the pro- 
fessor's chair, and as head of his devoted and simple- 
minded Franciscans. All things considered, it may be 
said that the date, as nearly as it can be fixed, of the 
introduction of the Angelus was a time when the Chris- 
tian world was ripe for such a devotion. 

The lapse of time and the imperfection of records 
render it difficult to collect all the facts regarding the 
institution of the Angelus, but such as are to be met 
with will be given. Says the Rev. John Evangelist Zoll- 
ner : ^* According to the testimony of many historians, 
Pope Urban II. (1088) ordained that the bell should be 
rung in the morning and evening and the Angelus 
Domini recited, in order to obtain of God the possession 
of the Holy Land. Gregory IX. renewed this ordinance 
in the year 1239; Calixtus III. (1456) required it to be 
observed also at noon." ^ The statements of this author 
do not harmonize with those of other reliable writers ; 

1 *' The Pulpit Orator," vol. vi. p. 147. 



The Angelus, 169 

but they are supported by some authorities, and may 
tend to throw light on a disputed question. St. Bona- 
Yenture, in the general chapter of his Order held in 
Paris in 1226, and in the next held at Assisium, ordered 
the triple salutation of the Blessed Virgin, called the 
Angelus, to be recited every evening at six o'clock in 
honor of the incomprehensible mystery of the Incarna- 
tion.^ From this it is safe to infer that the Angelus 
had already been introduced, to some extent at least, 
among Christians. Pope John XXII. issued a bull, 
dated May 7, 1327, commanding that at the sound of 
the bell the " Hail Mary " should be said three times. 
A council held in 1346 by William, Archbishop of Sens, 
decreed that, in accordance with the command of Pope 
John XXII., of blessed memory, the three '^ Hail Marys " 
should be recited; and it granted an indulgence of thirty 
daj^s to those who did so. This is the first indulgence 
of which there is authentic record in connection with 
the Angelus. The statutes of Simon, Bishop of Nantes, 
of about the saine date, direct pastors of souls to have 
the evening bell rung, and to instruct their people to re- 
cite three *'Hail Marys" on bended knees, by doing 
which they can gain an indulgence of ten days. 

Up to that time the custom had existed of reciting the 
Angelus only in the evening ; but in the year 1368 the 
Council of Lavaur issued a decree requiring all pastors 
and curates, under penalty of excommunication, to have 
the bell rung at sunset, and to recite five ' ' Our Fathers " 
in honor of the Five Wounds of our divine Redeemer, 
and seven ** Hail Marys " in honor of the Seven Joys of 
the holy Mother of God. In the following year the 
Synod of Bessiers decreed that at the break of day the 
great bell of the church be rung three times, and that 
* Butler's " Lives of the Saints," July 14th. 



170 The Angelus. 

whoever heard it should recite three times the *'Our 
Father" and ''Hail Mary," to which recitation an in- 
dulgence of twenty days was granted. According to 
some writers, it was Calixtus III. who, in 1456, intro- 
duced the custom of reciting the ''Hail Marys," or 
Angelus, at noon. But Fleury and Du Cange ascribe 
it to King Louis XI. of France, in the year 1472 ; and 
Mabillon declares that the custom spread from France 
throughout Europe, and in the beginning of the six- 
teenth century received the approval of the Holy See.^ 

It would be difficult; if not impossible, to determine 
when and by whom the versicles and responses, together 
with the concluding prayer, were introduced, or, in 
other words, who reduced the Angelus to its present 
form. We have seen, however, the various changes 
through which the devotion passed in the Middle Ages, 
and that its perfection was not the work of one, but of 
several hands. 

If, turning from the history of its origin, we examine 
the parts of which it is composed, its surpassing excel- 
lence will be readily seen. The purpose of the devotion, 
as has been remarked, is the commemorating of the 
great mystery of the Incarnation of the Second Person 
of the ever blessed Trinity and the virginal maternity of 
the Blessed Mary. The Gospel narrative, which so ad- 
mirably summarizes it, is found in the 1st chapter of St. 
Luke, from the 26th to the 42d verse, from which the 
first half of the "Hail Mary" and the first and second 
versicles and responses are taken, while the third ver- 
sicle and response are from the 14th verse of the 1st 
chapter of the Gospel of St. John. From this it will be 
seen that the Angelus holds a place in the front rank of 
Catholic devotions. "What could be moVe salutary than 
* *'Kirchen- Lexicon," as above. 



The Angelus. 171 

the recitation at morning, noon, and night of this beau- 
tiful prayer, which reminds us of Him whose name is 
the only one under heaven given to men whereby they 
may be saved, and the dignity of her whom the Church 
bids us salute as ** our life, our sweetness, and our hope " ? 

Inasmuch as the Eegina Coeli has been made to take 
the place of the Angelus during Easter time, it will be 
proper for us to pause and inquire into the origin of 
that devotion. I shall premise by saying that at Ihe 
end of Lauds and Compline in the Divine Office, and at 
the end of Vespers, as they are commonly sung in 
churches, an antiphon of the Blessed Virgin is added. 
These antiphons are four in number, are named from 
the Latin words with which they begin, and vary ac- 
cording to the season. The only one, however, with 
which we are now concerned is that which takes the 
place of the Angelus in the Office during Paschal time. 

The origin of the Regina Coeli is thus accounted for 
by a writer of note : ^' In 596, during Paschal time, a 
horrible pestilence was ravaging Rome, and the Pope, St. 
Gregory, called the people to penance and appointed a 
procession. The day having come, he himself repaired 
at dawn to the church of Ara Coeli, and, taking in his 
hands a picture of the Blessed Virgin, said to have been 
painted by St. Luke, he proceeded to St. Peter's, fol- 
lowed by the clergy and a numerous crowd. But all of 
a sudden, w^hile passing the Castle of Adrian, voices were 
heard in the air singing the Regina Coeli. The Pon- 
tiff,, astonished and enraptured, replied with the people : 
' Ova pro nobis Beum^ alleluia. ' At the same moment 
an angel, brilliant with light, was seen replacing his 
sword in the scabbard, and the plague ceased from that 
day."^ *' After the disappearance of the plague the 

^ " The Divine Office,*' Bacquez, p. 564; Feraris, " Verbum Anti- 
phona." — 



172 The Angelus. 

anthem Regina Coeli was introduced into the Church 
service, to thank the Blessed Virgin, whose intercession 
was believed to have stayed the disease." ^ But it must 
be said of the Regina Coeli, as of the Angelus, that it 
did not at once assume its present form. 

Not content with approving and recommending so 
appropriate a devotion as the Angelus, the Church, 
anxious to encourage its recitation still further, has en- 
riched it with indulgences. Into this point we must 
now inquire. It has already been seen that a number 
of bishops and local councils granted indulgences to 
certain devotions corresponding more or less closely to 
the Angelus. These indulgences have long since been 
abrogated even in the narrow territories for which they 
were originally granted, and it is to the Holy See alone 
that we must now look for indulgences of the Angelas. 
The following are those granted at various times by the 
Vicar of Christ: "The Sovereign Pontiff Benedict 
XIII., by a brief of September 24, 1724, granted a 
plenary indulgence once a month to all the faithful who 
every day at the sound of the bell, in the morning, or 
at noon, or in the evening at sunset, shall say devoutly 
on their knees the Angelus Domini, with the ' Hail 
Mary ' three times, on any day when, being truly peni- 
tent, they shall pray for peace and union among Chris- 
tian princes, for the extirpation of heresy, and for the 
triumph of holy mother Church." Also " an indul- 
gence of one hundred days, on all the other days of the 
year, every time that, with at least contrite heart and 
devotion, they shall say these prayers." * 

Certain points are here to be noted, as they have 

^ Darras' "General History of the Catholic Church," vol. ii. p. 
1T6, note. 
^Raccolta, p. 179. 



The Angelus. 173 

since been somewhat modified. The first is that the 
devotion was to be performed at the sound of the bell ; 
in the second place, that it was not necessary to recite 
the Angelus three times in the day in order to gain the 
Indulgence, as some persons imagine, but only once ; 
thirdly, that it had to be said kneeling ; and, finally, 
taat the prayer, *'Pour forth," etc., did not constitute 
an essential part of the devotion. Benedict XIV. con- 
firmed the above indulgences April 20, 1742 ; but he at 
the same time introduced certain new features, which 
were, that the Angelus should be said standing on 
Saturday evening and all Sunday ; and that the Regina 
Coeli^ with the versicle, response, and prayer, should be 
said instead of it during Paschal time — that is, from 
Holy Saturday evening to the eve of Trinity Sunday, 
both included. To the latter he granted the same in- 
dulgences as to the Angelus; and he, moreover, per- 
mitted those who did not know it by heart to continue 
the recitation of the Angelus in its place. *' The Sover- 
eign Pontiff Pius VL, by a rescript dated March 18, 
1781, granted that, in those places where no bell is 
rung at the times stated at)ove, the faithful may gain the 
indulgences if, at or about the hours specified, they say, 
with at least contrite heart and devotion, the Angelus^ 
or the Regina Coeli in the Paschal season." ^ When it 
w*as asked of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences 
w^hether persons unable to kneel, or those on a journey 
at the time the bell rang, could gain the indulgences of 
the devotion without complying with those conditions, 
a reply was given under date of February 18, 1835, that 
the devotion must be performed according to the decree 
of Benedict XIII. To the inquiry, put by Canon Fa- 
lise of the cathedral of Tournay, whether or not the 

1 Raccolia, pp. 179, 180. 



174 The Angelas, 

bell for ringing the Angelus must be blessed, the Sa- 
cred Congregation of Indulgences replied, August 24, 
1865, that it was not necessary.^ Thus matters rested 
till April 3, 1884, when a decree was issued still further 
lessening the conditions for gaining the indulgences. In 
the words of that decree : ** Recently many pious men 
implored the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences to 
mitigate to some extent those two conditions " (of re- 
citing the devotion at the sound of the bell, and on 
bended knees), " for the Angelus bell is not rung in all 
places, nor three times a day, nor at the same hours ; 
and if rung, it is not always heard ; and if heard, the 
faithful may be prevented by reasonable cause from 
kneeling down just at that moment to say the prayers. 
Besides, there are any number of the faithful who 
know neither the Angelus nor the Regina Coeli by 
heart, and cannot even read them in print. "Wherefore 
His Holiness Pope Leo XIII., in order not to have so 
many of the faithful deprived of these spiritual favors, 
and in order to stir up an abiding and grateful remem- 
brance of the mysteries of Our Lord's Incarnation and 
Resurrection, . . . graciously granted that all the faith- 
ful who say the Angelus^ with the three ' Hail Marys, ^ 
the * Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,' and the 
prayer *Pour forth,' etc., though for reasonable cause 
they do not say them on bended knees nor at the sound 
of the bell ; or who recite during Paschal time the 
Regina Ccdi^ with the versicle and prayer ; or who in 
the morning, or about midday, or in the evening,^ say 
five ' Hail Marys ' in a becoming manner, with attention 
and devotion — in case they do not know the Angelus 

* Schneider, pp. 75 and 200, note. 

2 Sive mane, sive circiter meridiem, sive sub vespere. 



The Angelus, 175 

or the Regina Codi, and. cannot read them — may gain 
the indulgences." ^ 

It is here to be noted that, although in some points 
the Holy Father mitigated the conditions for gaining 
the indulgences, he at the same time added 'an obliga- 
tion which had not previously existed — that of reciting 
the versicles and prayer after the three '' Hail Marys." 

To sum up: in order to gain the indulgences of the 
Angelus given above, it is necessary at the present time, 
first, to recite the three '* Hail Marys," with the versicle 
and response that precede each one, and the versicle 
and response with the prayer after them — that is, the 
Angelus as it is found in prayer-books ; or, secondly, to 
recite in place of it the Regina Coeli, with its versicle, 
response, and prayer, in its proper season ; or, thirdly, 
for those who do not know these by heart and cannot 
read, to recite five ."Hail Marys" — one of which devo- 
tions must be performed in the morning, about midday, 
or in the evening. The obligations of reciting at the 
sound of the bell and of kneeling are not essential when 
the fulfilment of them is prevented by any reasonable 
cause. 

Instances might be given of the devotion of the saints 
to the Angelus, such as that of St. Charles Borromeo, 
who, though a cardinal, was accustomed to alight 
from his carriage at the sound of the bell, and kneel on 
the street, or wherever he chanced to be, to recite it. 
St. Francis of Sales had the same devotion. But exam- 
ples are not necessary. What has been said with re- 
gard to the devotion will, it is believed, be sufficient to 
stimulate the zeal and piety of the reader to a higher 
appreciation and a more careful practice of this excel- 
lent devotion. 

* The Pastor, vol. iii. pp. 13, 14. 



176 The Miraculous Medal. 



XIV.— THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL. 

There is no Christian amulet so generally worn by all 
ages, classes, and conditions as the Miraculous Medal of 
the Blessed Virgin Mary. So well known is it and so 
universally worn that it is called by excellence the medal; 
and it is difficult to find any man, woman, or child who 
lays any claim to leading a good Christian life that does 
not wear it. There are many other medals approved 
and blessed by the Church, the efficacy of which has 
been frequently attested by the supernatural favors they 
have obtained for those who wear them in the spirit of 
faith ; but there is none to compare with this little sym- 
bol of our confidence in our Immaculate Mother. 

Much of what appears in this essay is taken from the 
excellent work of the Abbe Aladel, C. M., '*The Miracu- 
lous Medal." This pious and learned religious was for 
many years the spiritual director of the favored soul 
through whom it pleased the Mother of mercy to bestow 
so signal a favor upon her children ; and it was at his 
command that she reluctantly committed to writing an 
account of the visions accorded her regarding the Miracu- 
lous Medal. It will, then, be of interest to cast a hasty 
glance at the life of this favored servant of Mary. 

Zoe Laboure, for such was her name in the world, was 
born May 2, 1806, in a village of the Cote-d'Or Mount- 
ains, called Fain-les Moutiers, of the parish of Moutiers- 
Saint-Jean, France. The locality was rendered holy by 
the presence and labors at an earlier day of such eminent 
servants of God as SS. Bernard, Vincent of Paul, and 
Jane Frances de Chantal. Zoe's parents were a pious 



The Miraoulous Medal. 177 

rural couple of limited means; and her mother died when 
she was but eight years of age. But holy souls were not 
wanting to continue the good work which her mother 
had begun in her Christian training ; and God soon be- 
gan to give unmistakable proofs that even in childhood 
she was one of His favored children. At an early age 
she began to be favored with supernatural visions, among 
which was, several times, that of a venerable man, whom 
her confessor told her was doubtless St. Vincent of Paul, 
who wanted her to become a Daughter of Charity. After 
persevering prayer and careful examination, she followed 
this advice, and the event proved that her confessor had 
been enlightened from on high. Zoe became a postulant 
in the house of the Sisters at Chatillon, a town of France, 
about a hundred miles south-east of Paris, in the begin- 
ning of the year 1830. Her visions continued ; and in 
January, 1831, she was clothed with the habit of religion 
under the name of Sister Catharine. She was character- 
ized by her superiors as a person of a somewhat reserved, 
but calm, positive character, cold, and even pathetic. 
After having been for more than forty-five years a 
favored child of Mary and a shining example of every 
virtue for her companions, she closed her mortal career 
on the last day of the year 1876, in the House of Provi- 
dence, near the spot where she had spent her life in 
religion. Such, then, was the person whom it pleased 
God and Our Lady to make the instrument of the divine 
mercy in giving to the faithful on earth the Miraculous 
Medal. Let us pause and examine into the circum- 
stances attending this important event, and the spread 
of the devotion to which it immediately gave rise. 

Sister Catharine was favored with many visions, but 
the one with which we are principally concerned took 
place November 27, 1830. It was not, however, till 1856 



178 The Miraculous Medal, 

that, at the command of her spiritual director, the Abbe 
Aladel, she committed the account of it to writing. 
Again, in 1876, a short time before her death, she wrote 
another account of it. A third copy, without a date, 
was found among her papers after her death, that was 
probably only a draft from which one of the other copies 
had been made. 

The circumstances which led immediately to the vision 
in which the medal was shown were these : Sister 
Catharine, having been favored with so many celestial 
visions, ardently desired to see the Blessed Virgin her- 
self, whose voice, it would seem, she had frequently 
heard ; and with the childlike simplicity so much insisted 
on by our divine Saviour, and so distinguishing a feature 
of the true servants of God, she prayed long and de- 
voutly for this favor. On July 18, 1830, the feast of 
St. Vincent of Paul, the directress of the novices gave 
a very touching instruction on devotion to the saints, 
which affected Sister Catharine very much and increased 
her desire to look upon the Queen of saints. That night 
about half -past eleven o'clock she heard her name dis- 
tinctly called three times, and looking out through the 
curtains she saw a child of ravishing beauty, and appar- 
ently about three or four years of age, who said to her : 
*' Come to the chapel, where the Blessed Virgin awaits 
you." Accompanied by the child, whom she confidently 
believed to be her guardian angel, she obeyed, and soon 
after entering the chapel the holy Mother of God ap- 
peared, and spoke of the trials which were in store for 
the Sister and which were to befall the Church. Some 
of these she described in detail, while the tears flowed 
from her eyes, and she appeared very sad. At the con- 
clusion of this vision her celestial companion conducted 
Sister Catharine back to her place in the convent. This 



The Miraculous Medal, 179- 

was but the preparation for the more important mani- 
festation that was to be made to her. 

In the month of November Sister Catharine communi- 
cated to her spiritual director an account of another 
vision with which she had been favored, and which he 
related to the Promoter of the diocese, February 16, 
1836, in these words : ''At half-past five in the evening, 
while the Sisters were in the chapel making their medi- 
tation, the Blessed Virgin appeared to a young Sister as 
if in an oval picture ; she was standing on a globe, only 
half of which was visible ; she was clothed in a white 
robe and a mantle of shining blue, having her hands 
covered, as it were, with diamonds, whence emanated 
luminous rays falling upon the earth, but more abun- 
dantly upon one part of it. A voice seemed to say : 
' T^iese rays are symbolic of the graces Mary obtains for 
men, and the point upon which they fall most abun- 
dantly is France.' Around the picture, written in golden 
letters, were these words : ' O Mary ! conceived without 
sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee ! ' This 
prayer, traced in a semicircle, began at the Blessed 
Virgin's right hand, and, passing over her head, termi- 
nated at her left hand. The reverse of the picture bore 
the letter ''M" surmounted by a cross, having a bar at 
its base, and beneath the monogram of Mary were the 
hearts of Jesus and Mary, the first surrounded with a 
crown of thorns, the other transpierced with a sword. 
Then she seemed to hear these words : ' A medal must 
be struck upon this model ; those who wear it indul- 
genced, and repeat this prayer with devotion, will be in 
a special manner under the protection of the Mother of 
God.' At that instant the vision disappeared." ^ 

According to the testimony of Sister Catharine this 

1 "The Miraculous Medal," pp. 57, 58. 



180 The Miraculous Medal. 

yision appeared several times in the course of a few 
months. Her own account of what may be called the 
final vision, which resulted in the striking of the medal 
as we now have it, will be of special interest. It is re- 
lated in the following words, and the length of the 
quotation will be more than compensated for by the im- 
portance of the subject. The Sister writes : "The 27th 
of November, 1830, which was a Saturday, and the eve 
of the first Sunday in xidvent, while making my medi- 
tation in profound silence, at half -past five in the even- 
ing, I seemed to hear on the right-hand side of the 
sanctuary something like the rustling of a silk dress, and, 
glancing in that direction, I perceived the Blessed Virgin 
standing near St. Joseph's picture ; her height was me- 
dium, and her countenance so beautiful that it would be 
impossible for me to describe it. She was standing, 
clothed in a robe the color of auroral light, the style that 
is usually called a la vierge — that is, high neck and plain 
sleeves. Her head was covered with a white veil, which 
descended on each side to her feet. Her hair was smooth 
on the forehead, and above was a coil ornamented with 
a little lace and fitting close to the head. Her face was 
only partially covered, and her feet rested on a globe, or 
rather a hemisphere (at. least I saw but half a globe). 
Her hands were raised about as high as her waist, and 
she held in a graceful attitude another globe (a figure of 
the univers^). Her eyes were lifted up to heaven, and 
her countenance was radiant as she offered the globe to 
Our Lord. Suddenly her fingers were filled with rings 
and most beautiful precious stones ; the rays gleaming 
forth and reflecting on all sides enveloped her in such 
dazzling light that I could see neither her feet nor her 
robe. The stones were of different sizes, and the rays 
emanating from them were more or less brilliant in pro- 



The Miraculous Medal. 181 

portion to the size. I could not express what I felt, nor 
what I learned in these few moments. 

** While occupied in contemplating this vision, the 
Blessed Virgin cast her eyes upon me, and a voice said 
in the depths of my heart : ' The globe that you see 
represents the entire world, and particularly France, 
and each person in particular.' . . . And the Blessed 
Virgin added : ^ Behold the symbol of the graces I shed 
upon those who ask me for them,' thus making me un- 
derstand how generous she is to all who implore her in- 
tercession. . . . 

*' There now formed around the Blessed Virgin a 
frame slightly oval, upon which appeared, in golden 
letters, these words : ' O Mary ! conceived without sin, 
pray for us who have recourse to thee ! ' Then I heard 
a voice which said : ' Have a medal struck upon this 
model ; persons who wear it indulgenced will receive 
many graces, especially if they wear it around the neck ; 
_graces will be abundantly bestowed upon those who 
have confidence.' 'Suddenly,' says the Sister, 'the 
picture seemed to turn,' and she saw the reverse, such as 
has already been described." ^ 

Although the twelve stars surrounding the monogram 
and the two hearts are not mentioned in the Sister's 
notes, it would appear certain that she spoke of them at 
the time she related the vision ; otherwise they would 
hardly have been added. 

It is only proper to state that there are certain dis- 
crepancies between the accounts of the vision as given 
by Sister Catharine and her spiritual director ; but these 
are only regarding minor details, and do not affect the 
narrative as a whole. 

The Abbe Aladel was very slow to credit the Sister's 

1 '* The Miraculous Medal," pp. 57-60. 



182 The Miraculous Medal, 

accounts of her visions, and told her to pay no attention 
to them, but to dismiss them from her mind. But the 
Blessed Virgin, in the goodness of her tender heart, was 
resolved to afford her faithful servants on earth another 
proof of her maternal care and protection, and to make 
this humble religious the instrument of her mercy. So, 
in the month of December of the same year, she favored 
the Sister with another vision. '* But," says the Abbe 
Aladel, '' there was a striking difference between this 
and the previous one ; the Blessed Virgin, instead of 
stopping at St. Joseph's picture, passed on, and rested 
above the tabernacle, a little behind. . . . The Blessed 
Virgin appeared to be about forty years of age, accord- 
ing to the Sister's judgment. The apparition was, as it 
were, framed from the hands in the invocation : ' O 
Mary ! conceived without sin, pray for us who have re- 
course to thee ! traced in golden letters. The reverse 
presented the monogram of the Blessed Virgin, sur- 
mounted by a cross, and beneath were the divine hearts 
of Jesus and Mary. Sister Laboure was again directed 
to have the medal struck upon this model. She termi- 
nates her account in these words : 

*' To tell you what I understood at the moment that 
the Blessed Virgin offered the globe to Our Lord would 
be impossible, or what my feelings were while gazing on 
her. A voice in the depths of my heart said to me : 
' These graces are symbolic of the graces the Blessed 
Virgin obtains for those who ask for them.' " "When 
Sister Laboure related the third apparition of the medal^ 
M. Aladel asked her if she had seen anything written on 
the reverse. The Sister answered that she had not. The 
father then told her to ask the Blessed Virgin w'hat 
should be put there. The Sister obeyed, and, after per- 



The Miraculous Medal. 183 

severing prayer, she was told one day at meditation that 
^' M" and the two hearts expressed enough.^ 

None of the accounts of the apparition mentions the 
serpent under the feet of the Blessed Virgin ; and the 
Sister, being asked in confidence by her superior, long 
riter Father Aladel had passed to his reward, about it, 
said that there was a serpent of a greenish color, with 
yellow spots. She remarked at the same time that the 
globe in the hands of the Mother of God was surmounted 
by a little cross. 

Two years after the apparition of the Blessed Virgin 
to Sister Catharine, Mgr. de Quelen, Archbishop of Paris, 
had the medal struck, and with this important event 
dates the beginning of the extraordinary devotion that 
has since been paid to it. It is not necessary to remark 
on the rapid spread of this devotion among all classes 
of Christians, first in France and then in other countries, 
nor upon the many well- authenticated supernatural 
favors with which God Himself has attested the efficacy 
of the Miraculous Medal. The smallness of its size and 
the manner in which it is worn place it in the power of 
everyone to keep a medal about him, and to have a 
share in the protection of which the holy Mother of God 
makes it the instrument. 

Such, then, was the origin of the Miraculous Medal. 
At first it was received with mistrust by the Sister's spir- 
itual director, as spiritual directors are always accus- 
tomed to receive such communications ; and when the 
account was narrated to the Archbishop of Paris, the 
same and even greater precautions were observed ; for 
the hierarchy of the Church are not so precipitate nor so 
enthusiastic in matters of this kind as our ill-informed 
» *'The Miraculous Medal," pp. 63, 64. 



184 The Miraculous Medal, 

separated brethren would fain have the world believe. 
They well know that if these things are from God He 
will, in His own good time and way, give unmistakable 
evidence of His divine approval, and if not, He will ere 
long doom them to an eternal oblivion. Hence the ec- 
clesiastical authorities know they can leave all to the 
workings of His providence, and await the result. That 
there have been delusions in matters of this kind no one 
will deny ; but that all such manifestations are not de- 
lusions is equally certain. Matters of this kind must 
stand or fall by the ordinary laws of evidence ; and it is 
as great a folly to reject all evidence as it is to accept all 
evidence. 

The indulgences attached to the Miraculous Medal are 
those known as the Papal or Apostolic indulgences, men- 
tioned in the Eaccolta, pp. 444-450. 



The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 185 



XV.— THE LITTLE OFFICE OF THE BLESSED 
VIRGIN MARY. 

The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin is based on the 
Divine Office, which the reverend clergy and some re- 
ligious Orders are bound to recite daily ; and an acquaint- 
ance with the latter will throw considerable light on the 
former. ^ The compilation of the Little Office has been 
attributed to St. Peter Damian ; but Cardinal Bona, a 
very reliable authority on the subject, holds that it ex- 
isted in the beginning of the eighth century, and that 
St. Peter Damian only restored its use. The Council of 
Clermont, held under Pope Urban II. in 1096, made the 
recitation of the Little Office obligatory on the clergy ; 
but secular priests have been freed from that obligation 
by the bull of Pope St. Pius V., Quod a Nobis, of July 9, 
1568. It is not the intention to speak in this essay of 
the obligation of those who are bound by rule to the reci- 
tation of the Little Office, — their several constitutions 
regulate that matter for them, — but only of what is re- 
quired of those who recite the Office out of devotion. 
While the latter do not sin in omitting it, or any part of 
it, they may sustain spiritual loss in not complying with 
all that the Church requires in its recitation. 

With regard to the language in which the Little Office 
is to be recited, we must distinguish between the general 
law of the Church and the special indults that have been 
granted by the Holy See to certain places or religious 
communities. This question is one of considerable im- 
portance, inasmuch as it affects the indulgences granted 

^ See " The Treasures of the Breviary/' pp. 47 et seq. 



186 The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

to the recitation. After mucli discussion on both sides,' 
it has been finally settled by a decision of the Sacred 
Congregation of Rites of September 13, 1888. in reply to 
two doubts proposed to that learned body. The first of 
these was. whether the faithful reciting the Little Office 
in the vernacular gain the indulgences granted by the 
Sovereign Pontiffs, especially by the decrees of April 30, 
1852, and December 29, 1864, provided the translation 
has the approbation of the ordinary of the diocese. And 
the second doubt was that, in case the first were an- 
swered in the negative, would it be advisable to have these 
indulgences extended to the recitation of the Office in 
the vernacular. Both questions were answered in the 
negative. This settles the matter, and renders it certain 
that the indulgences granted to the Little Office can be 
gained by those only who recite it in Latin. 

We are here reminded of the importance which many 
of the saints, and notably St. Francis of Sales, attached 
to the recitation of prayers in the liturgical language of 
the Church. Only a special indult from the Holy See 
can secure the indulgences in any other than the lan- 
guage of the Church, which is equivalent to saying that 
the Church desires all her liturgical prayers to be recited 
in her liturgical language — the Latin. Such indults have 
been seldom granted, and only two have come under my 
notice. A custom existed in Chili, and probably still 
exists, of reciting the Little Office in Spanish, the lan- 
guage of the country ; and the bishop of the diocese of 
the Immaculate Conception presented certain doubts to 
the Sacred Congregation of Rites, because books contain- 
ing the Office in Spanish were printed and in use among 
the people, and others were offered for sale. For these 

^ See The Pastor, vol. vi. pp. 307-313, for a summary of this dis- 
cussion. 



The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 187 

reasons lie asked to know whether the Spanish Offices 
could be used without losing the indulgences. The reply 
of the Sacred Congregation, dated August 20, 1870, was 
that the custom could be tolerated, provided the bishop 
saw that the Office in Latin was printed on parallel col- 
umns with the Spanish. The question regarded the 
tertiaries ; and it was further asked whether they would 
sin by reciting the Office in the vernacular, since they 
were bound to the recitation. Again, a Redemptorist 
Father in Belgium, the better to encourage devotion to 
the Blessed Virgin, had the Little Office translated into 
Prench, and printed side by side with the Latin text. 
But, having some doubt as to the licitness of his action, 
he had recourse to the Sacred Congregation of Rites for 
advice in the matter. That august body referred the 
question back to the bishop, by a decree of September 4, 
1875, charging his conscience with seeing that the Office 
was that approved by the Church, on which condition 
the book was permitted to be printed and used. 

The rubrics, or rules, for the recitation of the Little 
Office do not state definitely at what precise hours the 
different parts are to be said ; but we can learn this from 
analogy, by examining the rules laid down for the reci- 
tation of the Divine Office ; for the Little Office, which 
does not bind under pain of sin, cannot have a stricter 
law for its recitation than the Divine Office, which does 
bind under pain of sin, and of mortal sin. And the 
several Papal decrees granting indulgences to the reci- 
tation of the Little Office have added no new obligations 
regarding its recital. The different times at which the 
Divine Office was formerly recited, and is yet by those 
who are bound to its recitation in choir, have given 
names to the several parts, or *' hours," as they are 
called ; but this imposes no obligation as to time on those 



188 The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Marij. 

who say the Office out of choir, whether they are bound 
to its recitation or not. The Divine Office must be re- 
cited every day by those on whom that obligation is 
binding ; and this day is calculated mathematically — 
that is, exactly from midnight to 'midnight, with the 
privilege of anticipating Matins and Lauds the previous 
afternoon or evening, beginning at any time after half 
the time has elapsed between midday and sunset. But 
the bishops of this and some other countries have facul- 
ties for granting permission to those who are bound to 
the recitation of the Office to begin Matins and Lauds at 
two o'clock in the afternoon. Hence the same can be 
done by those who are bound to the recitation of the 
Little Office ; and if by those upon whom it is an obli- 
gation, much more by those who recite it out of devo- 
tion. As to the recitation of the rest of the Divine 
Office, St. Liguori says — and all theologians agree with 
him — that the Little Hours of Prime, Tierce, Sext, and 
None may be recited at any time in the forenoon, and 
Vespers and Complin any time after midday. Anyone 
who finishes the recitation of the Office before midnight 
does not sin ; and anyone who says the Office at any 
time within the twenty-four hours, with the additional 
privilege of anticipating Matins and Lauds the previous 
evening, even though he anticipates or postpones the 
hours without any reason whatever, commits no more 
than a venial sin, no matter how early or how late the 
recitation may be ; and he is not bound to repeat any 
part. Hence if a person were to rise at midnight and 
recite the whole Office, including Complin, without any 
reason, he would be guilty of only a venial sin ; and if 
he had any valid reason for doing so, he would commit 
no fault whatever. On this point St. Liguori says that, 
in order to recite the Office earlier or later than the times 



The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 18^ 

indicated by the names of the several hours, any canse 
of either utility or propriety will suffice — sufficit qitcevis 
causa utilis ml honesta. What is true of the Divine 
Office is, for a greater reason, true of the Little Office, 
when said out of devotion. It is superfluous, however, to 
say that, inasmuch as the Church has appointed particular 
times for the recitation of the Office for those who are 
bound to it, it is desirable, though not of obligation, for 
all who say it to conform as near as may be to that order. 

Inasmuch as God is everywhere, any place or posture 
that is proper or becoming for the recitation of other 
prayers will suffice also for the Little Office, though it is 
needless to remark that some places and postures are 
more becoming than others, and less exposed to dis- 
tractions. On these points the general good sense of 
pious Christians will serve as a safe enough guide. 

Attention is required for the performance of every 
human act, and this is more especially true of such as- 
have an immediate relation to the supernatural. This, 
attention is manifestly of two kinds : external and in- 
ternal. External attention consists, as is self-evident, in 
avoiding whatever might interfere with the pious exer- 
cise on hand, as talking, writing, etc. Internal atten- 
tion is threefold : spiritual^ by which the mind is di- 
rected to God as the end and object of all adoration and 
praise ; literal^ which consists in fixing the mind on the 
meaning of the words read ; and material^ which regards 
the mere correct pronunciation of the words. Any of 
these forms of attention will suffice for the fulfilment of 
the obligation of reciting the Office ; but spiritual atten- 
tion, for obvious reasons, is the most perfect and the 
most to be desired. ^ 

Although in the recitation of the Little Office the 

^ Konings, " Theologia Moralis," N. 1126. 



190 The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

several parts or *' hours " should follow one another in 
the order in which they are placed, this is not essen- 
tially necessary for the fulfilment of the obligation of 
reciting it ; and any reasonable cause will justify an 
inversion of the order. For example, a person has not 
the office-book at hand, and knows certain parts by 
heart ; or he is asked by another to recite it with him, 
^nd begin at an hour which he has not yet reached. 
Even if the order were inverted without any reason, a 
person would not be bound to repeat any part of the 
Office, though he were obliged to its recitation. 

With regard to the interruptions permitted in the 
recitation of the Little Office, the rule holds good which 
is laid down for the Divine Office. Any reasonable 
€ause — advantage to self or others which cannot con- 
veniently be deferred to another time ; civility, charity, 
making a note of anything that might be on the mind 
and that might otherwise be forgotten, making ejacula- 
tions — though not a meditation and the like — suffices. 
A person is not bound to repeat any part of the Office 
he has gone over, no matter where he interrupts it, if 
the sense be complete.^ Hence he may xi^ccrrupt it iYi 
the middle of a psalm or a lesson. But since these are 
.short in the Little Office, it is better to begin them 
again. Persons should be careful to avoid scruples in 
this matter, as those who laid down these rules under- 
stood their responsibility, and the rules can be followed 
with absolute safety. 

It remains to speak of the indulgences granted to the 
recitation of the Little Office. I shall premise by say- 
ing that these indulgences are granted only to the reci- 
tation of the Office in Latin, and as it is found in the 
Eoman Breviary, unless there is a special indult from 

1 Koningrs, " Theol. Mor.," NN., 1118 et 1122. 




1. Paschal Candle. 2. Religious Medals. 3. Palm Branch. 4. Missal. 

See pages 17, 176, 205, 245. 



The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 191 

the Holy See.' And though an Office should be modelled 
after that in the Breviary, and approved by the bishop 
of the diocese where it is recited, the indulgences are 
not attached to it.^ The following are the indulgences 
with the conditions that have not been already men- 
tioned. Pope St. Pius v., by a bull of July 9, 1568, 
granted to all the faithful who are bound to the recita- 
tion of the Little Office, on the days prescribed by the 
rubries of the Roman Breviary, provided they say it 
with devotion, an indulgence of one hundred days. 
The same Pontiff, by a bull of April 5, 1571, granted to 
all who shall say this Office through devotion an indul- 
gence of fifty days ; and to those who shall say any 
prayers contained in the same Office, with devotion, an 
indulgence of fifteen days.' 

In order to still further increase devotion to the holy 
Mother of God, His Holiness Pope Leo XIIL, by a de- 
cree dated November 17, 1887, granted to all the faith- 
ful of both sexes, who shall have recited the Little Office 
— with only one nocturn in Matins, and the rest com- 
plete — for an entire month, a plenary indulgence, to be 
gained on any day of the month which each person may 
select, provided that, being truly penitent, he shall on 
that day go to confession and receive Holy Communion, 
and shall pray according to the intention of the Holy 
Father. And, secondly, he granted an indulgence of 
seven years and seven quarantines,* to be gained once 

^ BeriDger, '' Die Ablasse " (the German Raccolta), p. 81. 

2 Decreta Authentica S. Cong. Ind. et Rel., N. 367, ad 3. 

3 Raccolta, N. 88. 

■* The quarantines have reference to the Lenten fast. Accordingly, 
an indulgence of seven years and as many quarantines, for example, 
means the remission of a temporal penalty corregponding to seven 
years of canonical penances, joined to the special austerities of seven 
Lents.— Maurel, p. 52, note. 



192 The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

a day by all who shall, with at least contrite heart, 
recite the Little Office. Also an indulgence of three 
hundred days, to be gained once a day by all who shall, 
with the same pious dispositions, recite Matins and 
Lauds daily. These indulgences are granted in per- 
petuity, and are applicable to the souls in purgatory.^ 

1 The Pastor, vol. vi. pp. 309, 310. 



The Litanies. 193 



XVI.— THE LITANIES. 

After the holy Rosary, perhaps the most popular 
form of devotion, and the one best suited to an assembly 
of Christians, is the litanies, both on account of their 
intrinsic worth and because they arrest and secure the 
attention of those engaged in prayer much better than 
devotions that are performed alone or are led by one of 
A number. The word " litany" is of Greek origin, and 
signifies an humble supplication and devout or fervent 
prayer. But the term applies rather to each petition 
than to the form of prayer as a whole ; and hence, we 
may remark, the word is always in the plural in the 
liturgical language of the Church, and not in the singu- 
lar, as it is in English. 

Ecclesiastical writers reckon four litanies : that of the 
Old Testament, that of All Saints, that of the Blessed 
Virgin, and that of the Holy Name of Jesus. And 
first of 

THE LITANY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 

From the beginning it was natural for man to invent 
terms of praise to express the admiration he had for 
those whom he regarded as great, or who had conferred 
any special favor upon him or his country or his fellow- 
men ; and much more was it natural for him to invent 
terms of praise of God, whose mercies, like Himself, are 
infinite. And it is equally natural for man to make 
supplication in the time of need to those who he knows 
are able and willing to help him. What more natural, 
for example, than for the Jewish people to praise the 



194 The Litanies, 

heroic Judith, who slew the leader of their enemies at a- 
critical period in their history, and to exclaim (Judith , 
XV. 10) in salutations suitable for a litany : '' Thou art 
the glory of Jerusalem ; thou art the joy of Israel ; thou 
art the honor of our people ! " If such praise was due^ 
to Judith for her successful efforts in promoting the 
temporal welfare of her people, much more must it be 
due to Mary and the saints, whose conquests were not 
only in the temporal order — for they were real benefac- 
tors of mankind — but also in the spiritual order, for the 
example, direction, and assistance of men, and the- 
honor and glory of God. Again, Isaias (ix. 6), in the- 
names which he gives the coming Messias, furnishes- 
appellations suited for a litany ; as, * ' His name shall 
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the 
Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace." 

But the most perfect example of a litany in the Old 
Law, and the one which is by excellence called the- 
Litany of the Old Testament, is found in Psalm cxxxv. 
This psalm, which the Jews were accustomed to recite 
both in the public services of the temple and in their 
private devotions, recounts the divine attributes in 
twenty-seven verses, each concluding with the words — 
answered by the people : "• For His mercy endureth for> 
ever." ^ There are several other less perfect forms of 
litanies to be found in different parts of the Old Testa- 
ment. 

In the Old Law religious writings were given with the 
divine sanction, and it was impossible for anything to- 
be introduced into the services of religion except in 
proper form ; but it is not precisely so in the New Law, 
although here also there is a proper restraint placed 
upon those who will submit themselves to its direction. 

* Ferraris, " Verbum Litanise/' 



The Litanies. 195 

But the invention of printing has often aided the mis- 
taken and imprudent zeal of not a few, who have multi- 
plied litanies without end, and gained for many of them 
^ place in the endkss number and variety of prayer- 
books which flood the market. To restrain this pious 
-weakness for manufacturing litanies — some of which 
were not even free from heresy — the Sacred Congrega- 
tion of Rites issued a decree, March 31, 1821, strictly 
forbidding any additions to be made to the litanies 
approved by the Holy See, or the recitation of others in 
public that are not approved by the ordinary ; and at 
the same time it enjoined on the bishops to devote par- 
ticular attention to the enforcement of this decree. 
Other decrees of a similar tenor had been issued a cen- 
tury and a half before. The litanies approved by the 
Sacred Congregation for the public functions of the 
Church are the Litany of the Saints and that of the 
Blessed Virgin. Upon each of these, as well as upon 
that of the Holy Name of Jesus, remarks will be made. 

THE LITANY OF THE SAINTS. 

It is superfluous to observe that this litany .derives its 
name from the fact that it is a form of prayer in which 
petitions are addressed to various members of all the 
orders of the blessed, asking their intercession with God 
for us. It is of great antiquity, but authors do not 
agree in fixing the date of its origin. Many authorities 
attribute it to Pope St. Gregory the Great, who ruled 
the Church at the end of the sixth century. But this is 
disputed, because a number of councils held before the 
time of that Pontiff make mention of both the Greater 
and the Lesser Litany (Ferraris). It is also maintained 
that it was in use in the East in the time of St. Basil the 
Oreat, and even in the days of St. Gregory Thaumatur- 



196 The Litanies, 

gas, the latter of whom flourished about the middle of 
the third century. St. John Chrysostom also makes 
mention of it in one of his sermons. But this opinion 
is cr'^d in question, and apparently with good reason, 
on account of the well-known fact that the Orientals 
call any form of supplication a litany, as may be learned 
from their liturgies. 

It is not strange, however, that this litany should 
have been attributed to St. Gregory, inasmuch as he 
had a great devotion to the saints, and had their litany 
chanted with special solemnity in the processions which 
he caused to be made through the streets of Eome on 
the occasion of the plague that raged there during his 
pontificate. After weighing the evidence, as far as we 
can secure it, on both sides, the only safe conclusion we 
can arrive at is that of Baronius, who admits, in his 
notes on the Koman Martyrology, that he is unable to 
determine by whom the litany was composed, but that 
it is of very great antiquity. Jt cannot, however, have 
been earlier than the fourth century, because no saints 
but martyrs were honored by the Church prior to that 
time ; and it is a fact that no saints but martyrs are 
mentioned in the Canon of the Mass, which was brought 
to its present form by the labors of St. Gregory more 
than by those of any other person. 

The Litany of the Saints is known in liturgical lan- 
guage as the Greater and the Lesser Litany. The for- 
mer is chanted in the solemn procession on the feast of 
St. Mark, April 25; the latter on the Rogation Days. 
It is maintained by some writers that the Greater Litany 
derives its name from the fact that it was instituted by , 
a Pope, while the other is called the Lesser from its be- 
ing instituted by a bishop. But Ferraris holds that the , 
former derives its name from the fact that the proces-| 






The Litanies, 197 

sion during whicli it is sung directs its course toward 
the Church of St. Mary Major ; while the procession 
during the singing on the Rogation Days is directed 
toward other churches. Ferraris' opinion is more prob- 
ably the correct one. 

The Rogation Days derive their name from the Latin, 
word rogatio^ a petition — from the verb rogo^ I ask, 
rogare^ to ask, or petition. And their origin is this : 
Toward the close of the fifth century the diocese of 
Vienne, in France,was sorely afflicted with conflagrations, 
earthquakes, and ravages of wild beasts, and the ter- 
rified people were driven almost to despair. The bishop, 
Mamertus, had recourse to prayer, and instituted three^ 
days of penance immediately preceding the feast of the 
Ascension of Our Lord into heaven, in order to pro- 
pitiate the divine goodness. And the better to insure 
the success of his petitions, he begged the intercession 
of all the blessed by means of their litany. Heaven 
deigned to hear his prayer; and soon other dioceses, 
first of his native land, and then of other countries, fol- 
lowed his example, till finally the Sovereign Pontiff, St. 
Leo III., established the Rogation Days in Rome, in the 
year 816. 

The object of these days' devotions is to ask of God, 
from whom every good and perfect gift proceeds, that 
He would be pleased to give and preserve the fruits of 
the earth, and bestow upon His creatures all those tem- 
poral blessings that are necessary for them in the course 
of their mortal pilgrimage. Besides the actual graces 
received by the devotions of the Rogation Days, the fact 
itself of being reminded to have recourse to Almighty 
God for temporal blessings is of great advantage in this- 
material age, when the all-sufficiency of man has be- 
come one of the leading dogmas of misguided persons. 



198 The Litanies. 

Those who are bound to the recitation of the Divine 
Office are also bound to recite the Litany of the Saints, 
with the versicles, responses, and prayers, both on the 
feast of St. Mark and on the three Rogation Days. 
Formerly there was a similar obligation to recite the 
litany on all Fridays during the holy season of Lent ; 
but that was removed by a bull of Pope St. Pius V., 
Quod a JSfouis, so far as those are concerned who are not 
bound to the recitation of the Office in choir. 

There is a short form of the litany given in the 
Roman Missal for the blessing of the baptismal font 
on Holy Saturday and the eve of Pentecost ; but it is 
strictly forbidden to use this form on any other oc- 
casion. 

There is no indulgence attached to the recitation of 
the Litany of the Saints. 

THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 

The sublime prophecy of the Blessed Virgin — one of 
the most beautiful in the Sacred Scriptures — "Behold, 
from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed," 
early began to find its fulfilment in the Church. It 
could not have been otherwise, considered even from a 
natural point of view ; for the faithful who found in the 
Son the object of their supreme worship and deepest 
gratitude could not fail to honor the Mother through 
whose instrumentality that Son had been given to them. 
To these claims were added the many others, so to say, 
of her own which Mary had on them. These devout 
sentiments found their expression in numerous ejacula- 
tions, in seeing in Mary the fulfilment of many of the 
prophecies of the Old Testament, and discovering in the 
^ame sacred volume figures of her whom they loved so 
much. Mindful of their necessities, especially during 



The Litanies. 199 

the persecutions by which the early Church was so se- 
verely tried, they soon learned to weave these pious 
sentiments and expressions into a litany, with a petition 
for assistance after each, and the litany, substantially 
as we have it, was formed. 

This litany is of the greatest antiquity, and antedates- 
all others, even that of the Saints ; for, as we have said, 
it was not customary to honor any of the saints but 
martyrs before the fourth century. Quarti is of opinion 
that it was composed by the Apostles after the Assump- 
tion of the Blessed Virgin into heaven, the better to . 
impress the people with a correct idea of her transcen- 
dent greatness, and to induce them to have more fre- 
quent recourse to her in their spiritual and temporal- 
necessities. And he arrives at this conclusion from the 
fact that it is so ancient that no one can be named with 
certainty as its author. It has doubtless undergone 
slight changes ; and additional petitions have been 
placed in it, from time to time, in gratitude to Mary for 
having granted more than ordinary favors to her sup- 
pliants. A few of these will be mentioned, with the cir- 
cumstances under which they were formed. 

The title ^ * Help of Christians " owes its origin to the 
victory which the Christians gained over the Turks, who 
were threatening to overrun Europe in the sixteenth 
century, but who met with a crushing defeat in the year 
1572, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, in 
whose honor the Christian world recited the Eosary for 
the success of the Christian arms. That of * ' Queen of 
all saints " is due to the return of Pope Pius VII. to 
Eome after his long imprisonment in France, in May, 
1814, in fulfilment of a vow he had made of placing a 
golden crown on the statue of Our Lady in the holy 
chapel of Loretto on the event of his release and return 



200 The Litanies. 

to his own dominions. He fulfilled this vow with great 
solemnity on the 13th of May of that year, and then 
;saluted his holy protectress as Queen of all saints. The 
privilege of addressing Mary as " Queen conceived with- 
out original sin " was first granted to the Archdiocese 
, of Mechlin, July 10, 1846, and to the United States, 
September 15th of the same year. It is now common 
throughout the Christian world, but there is no general 
•decree on the matter.^ It may not be generally known 
that the last title of the litany, '' Queen of the most 
holy Eosary," was used two centuries ago. A decree of 
the Sacred Congregation of Kites dated July 13, 1675, 
permitted the members of the Confraternity of the Holy 
Hosary to address the Blessed Virgin by this title. ^ The 
recent act of the Holy See adding it to the Litany is 
dated December 10, 1883. 

This litany is commonly called the Litany of Loretto 
because it is sung with great solemnity in the Holy 
House of Loretto every Saturday — the house in which 
the great mystery of the Incarnation actually took place, 
and in which the Blessed Virgin spent the greater part 
of her holy life. 

The various ways of reciting the litany make it perti- 
nent to inquire : What, precisely, is essential in order 
to secure the indulgences granted by the Holy See ? 
Some persons are accustomed to begin it with the prayer, 
*' We fly to thy patronage," etc., and end it with a versi- 
cle, response, and prayer. This form is found in many 
prayer-books. Is it necessary ? The most reliable 
csource of information to be had on the point is the 
Itaccolta. In the last edition of that work the litany 
Tbegins with ^'Lord, have mercy on us," and concludes 

1 Schneider's "Maurel," pp. 189, 190. 

2 Ibid. 



The Litanies, 201 

with the third Agnus Dei, Hence this is all that is re- 
quired to gain the indulgences. But if pious persons 
want to add a prayer, what prayer should it be ? The 
most common, perhaps, is '*Pour forth,'' etc. This, 
however, is not the proper one, as we learn by consult- 
ing the Typical Edition of the Roman Ritual — a work 
which is specially approved as the liturgical standard^ 
in its line, by the Sacred Congregation of Rites. There^ 
instead of the above prayer, we find the versicle and 
response : ' ' Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That 
we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us 
pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we. Thy 
servants, may rejoice in continual health of mind and 
body ; and, through the glorious intercession of Blessed 
Mary ever virgin, be freed from present sorrow, and 
enjoy eternal gladness, through Christ Our Lord. 
Amen." 

The following are the indulgences granted for the 
recitation of the litany, as taken from the Raccolta : 
Two hundred days, once a day, granted by Sixtus V. 
and Benedict XIIL; three hundred daj^s every time, 
granted by Pius VII. ; and to all those who recite it once 
a day, a plenary indulgence on the five feasts of obliga- 
tion^ of the Blessed Virgin — that is, the Immaculate 
Conception, the Nativity, the Annunciation, the Purifi- 
cation, and the Assumption — on the condition of con- 
fession, Communion, visiting a church, and praying 
according to the intention of the Holy Father. 

THE LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS. 

This litany is so called because it contains expressions 
in praise of the various attributes of our holy Redeemer, 
after each of which His divine Name is invoked. I have 
* Some of these feasts are not of obligation everywhere. 



203 The Litanies. 

not been able to ascertain anything positive regarding 
the authorship of this litany, but it is certainly not of 
so great antiquity as either of the others we have been 
considering. A more interesting question, however, is 
that of its approbation by the Holy See. This was long 
a point upon which there existed great divei'sity of 
opinion among authorities ; and although it is now set- 
tled, a review of the discussion may not be uninteresting. 
The Constitution SanctissimuSy issued by Pope 
Olement YIII., September 6, 1601, forbids the recitation 
in churches, oratories, and processions of any other 
litanies than those of the Saints and the Blessed Virgin, 
without the approbation of the Sacred Congregation of 
Eites. Ferraris, however, maintains that this litany is 
exempt from that regulation, because it was enriched by 
Sixtus V. with an indulgence of three hundred days, at 
the instance of the Discalced Carmelites. But this argu- 
ment is not conclusive, because the decree of Clement 
VIII. is of later date than the alleged grant of Sixtus V., 
and it makes no mention of the Litany of the Holy 
l^ame. In the seventeenth century a number of German 
princes and bishops petitioned the Holy See for the 
approval of this litany, on the ground that it was con- 
stantly recited, both in public and in private, by the 
faithful under their jurisdiction. The reply of the 
Sacred Congregation of Kites, April 14, 1646, was : 
^ ' The aforesaid litany is to be approved, if His Holiness 
deem proper." It would appear, however, that the 
Sovereign Pontiff did not accede to their wishes ; for 
when the same Sacred Congregation was asked, two cen- 
turies later, whether the litany was approved and en- 
riched with indulgences, the reply, dated September 7, 
1850, was "No" to both questions.^ (By a decree of 
1 Schneider's " Maurel," pp. 159, 160. 



The Litanies, 205^ 

Sixtus v., dated January 22, 1585, the jurisdiction of 
the Sacred Congregation of Eites is restricted to public 
functions and ceremonies.) But in some other places as 
well as in Germany the decree regarding this litany was 
not always complied with, and it was recited both in 
public and in private. 

On the occasion of the canonization of the Japanese 
martyrs in 1862, a large number of the bishops present 
petitioned the Holy See for the approval of the Litany 
of the Holy Name of Jesus and its enrichment with in- 
dulgences ; and the Sovereign Pontiff so far acceded to- 
their request as to grant an indulgence of three hundred 
days to the faithful of all those dioceses whose bishops 
should make that request of him. Finally, his present 
Holiness, by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of 
Indulgences dated January 16, 1886, granted an indul- 
gence of three hundred days, to be gained once a day 
by all the faithful of the Christian world, on the usual 
conditions of a partial indulgence.^ But it does not 
appear that any decree has been issued permitting its 
recitation in any of the public functions of religion. 

We have next to inquire : What, precisely, constitutes 
the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus and is necessary 
to be said in order to gain the indulgences ? This litany 
differs from that of the Blessed Virgin in requiring the 
recitation of a versicle and response, with two prayers, 
after it. Beginning with " Lord, have mercy on us," it 
closes with the versicle and response, ''Jesus, hear us. 
Jesus, graciously hear us. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus 
Christ, who hast said : Ask, and you shall receive ; seek, 
and you shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unta 
you : grant, we beseech Thee, unto us who ask, the gift 
of Thy most divine love ; that we may ever love Thee? 

1 Beringer, " Die Ablasse,^' pp. 141-143. 



204 The Litanies. 

with our whole hearts, and in all our words and actions, 
and never cease from showing forth Thy praise. 

*' Make us, O Lord, to have a perpetual fear and love 
of Thy holy Name ; for Thou never failest to govern 
those wliom Thou dost establish in Thy love. Who 
livest," etc.^ 

Although this essay may appear dry to some readers, 
the frequency with which the litanies here treated of are 
recited, and the importance which the Church, especially 
at present, attaches to indulgences, make it not only a 
matter of instruction, but also one of spiritual interest 
to Christians, to be acquainted with what is essentially 
necessary for them to do in order that they may secure 
those spiritual favors ; while the history of the origin 
^nd development of the litanies can hardly be regarded 
oas a matter of indifference. 

1 •' Rituale Romanum," Editio Typica : Beringer. 



The Paschal Candle. 205 



XVII.— THE PASCHAL CANDLE. 

The origin of the custom of making and blessing the 
Paschal Candle has not been ascertained with certainty 
either as to time or place. It has been attributed by 
some writers to Pope St. Zosimus, who ascended the 
throne of Peter in the year 417 ; but it seems more 
probable that the rite had been introduced before his 
time, at least in the greater basilicas. It is not men- 
tioned of this Pope that he instituted the ceremony, but 
only that he permitted the Paschal Candle to be blessed 
in the parish churches. What still more pleads, says 
Oardinal Wiseman, for the antiquity of this rite is the 
•existence of it in distinct churches, and some of these in 
the East ; for St. Gregory Nazianzen, who was a con- 
temporary of St. Zosimus, mentions it, as do other 
Pat hers also. I think it may then be said to have been 
in general use early in the fifth century. 

Some of the Paschal Candles were very large, weigh- 
ing thirty, fifty, and even a hundred pounds. A favor- 
ite weight in many churches was thirty-three pounds, in 
honor of the thirty-three years of the life of our divine 
Lord upon earth, whose pure body the virginal white- 
ness of the wax aptly typifies. In early times the offices 
of the entire year, which began with Easter, were in- 
scribed on the Paschal Candle. Later, as their number 
increased, they were written on a parchment, and at- 
tached to it, sometimes by means of one of the grains of 
incense, to be noticed later on. This custom continued 
in certain dioceses of France as late as the middle of the 
last century. But with the multiplication of feasts the 



206 The Paschal Candle, 

practice became impossible, and with the invention of 
printing, unnecessary. The candle was also frequently 
decorated with flowers, or, as is still done, with designs 
in wax or other material ; and it had openings for the 
five grains of incense. 

Before the beginning of the fifth century Mass was 
not celebrated during the day on Holy Saturday ; the 
offices did not begin before the hour of none, or three 
o'clock in the afternoon ; and the people kept vigil in 
the churches till midnight, when Mass was celebrated. 
This custom continued till the latter part of the Middle 
Ages ; and it accounts for the frequent reference to* 
night both in the blessing of the Paschal Candle and ia 
the Preface and Canon of the Mass of Holy Saturday. 
It served also to impart a more striking significance ta 
the candle, which shed its light in the natural darkness,, 
and symbolized more pei'fectly than at present the risen. 
Saviour as the light of the world. It served better ta 
explain, too, the joyous character of the Mass of Holy 
Saturday, which was then, in point of time as well as in 
tenor, a more perfect anticipation of the glories of 
Easter than now ; since the Mass came nearer to the 
joys of Easter morn than to the dolorous scenes of Good 
Friday afternoon. 

The custom of celebrating Mass on Holy Saturday 
night is found to have existed as early as the time of 
TertuUian, that is, at the close of the second century ; 
and it is, besides, spoken of by that writer as something, 
common and well known, and not as a ceremony but 
lately introduced. St. Jerome attributes the keeping of 
the vigil of Easter to apostolic tradition. But about the- 
middle of the twelfth century, as we are informed by 
Hugh of St. Victor, a custom began to be introduced of 
anticipating the offices, although it did not become gen- 



The Paschal Candle. 207 

^eral for some three centuries at least, and vestiges of 
the old custom were found still later. 

No little diversity of opinion exists with regard to the 
authorship of the ExicUet, chanted for the blessing of 
the Paschal Candle. Says Father O'Brien, in his *' His- 
tory of the Mass ": *'It is almost universally admitted 
that the composition of this is the work of St. Augustine, 
but that the chant itself is Ambrosian." Cardinal 
Wiseman is more probably correct when he states that 
^'the beautiful prayer in which the consecration or 
blessing of the Paschal Candle takes place has been at- 
tributed to several ancient Fathers : by Martene, with 
some degree of probability, to the great St. Augustine, 
ivho very likely only expressed better what the prayers 
before his time declared." And he continues: ''It 
very beautifully joins the twofold object of the institu- 
tion. For while it prays that this candle may continue 
l^urning through the night to dispel the darkness, it 
•speaks of it as a symbol of the fiery pillar which led the 
Israelites from Egypt, and of Christ, the ever true and 
never failing light." The chant is said to be the only 
specimen of the pure Ambrosian found at present in the 
liturgy of the Church. 

I shall not pause to speak of the ceremony of the 
blessing of the new fire, the fiNQ grains of incense, or 
the lighting of the candle, and from it the lamps. We 
are familiar with these, and they are sufficiently ex- 
plained in the missal and the ceremonial. But it is 
worthy of remark that it is the deacon and not the priest 
— or, in smaller churches, the celebrant as deacon and 
not as priest — who blesses the Paschal Candle, to signify 
that not to the apostles but to others was entrusted the 
privilege of preparing the dead body of Our Saviour — 
which the candle not as yet lighted typifies— for the 



208 The Paschal Candle, 

holy sepulchre. The five grains of incense, which are* 
blessed to be inserted in the candle, represent by their 
number and arrangement the five wounds of our blessed 
Lord, which were inflicted before His death, but the 
cicatrices of which were retained by Him after His 
resurrection ; and the material of these grains repre- 
sents the spices with which His sacred body was pre- 
pared for the holy sepulchre. Hence they are put into 
the candle before it is lighted, and remain there after- 
ward. 

The manner in which the Church attaches mystic sig- 
nifications to many of her sacred rites and ceremonies^ 
naturally leads us to inquire still further into the sym- 
bolical meaning of the Paschal Candle ; and we have the 
more reason to expect a mystic signification both from 
the time and the circumstances attending the blessing of 
the candle itself, and from the days on which- it burns. 
In the first place, it represents our divine Redeemer 
Himself, dead, and then risen to a new life, to die ho 
more, as the Apostle declares ; for the candle is not at 
first lighted, but only after the performing of a part of 
the blessing. The grains of incense, too, are inserted in. 
it before it is lighted, to represent the wounds which 
caused the death of the Saviour of the world. The 
virginal wax of the candle typifies His sacred body, 
while the flame anjd light show Him to be the Word of 
the Father, enlightening everyone that cometh into the 
world. Hence it burns on Sundays from Easter to the 
Ascension, Sunday being the day on which especially 
the Word is preached for the enlightenment of the peo- 
ple ; but it is extinguished when Our Saviour leaves the 
earth and entrusts the diffusion of His light to the- 
apostles. It also typifies, as we have seen, the cloud 
and the pillar by which the chosen people were guided irt 



The Paschal Candle. 209 

their wanderings, during forty years in the desert, on 
their way to the Promised Land. 

During the blessing of the baptismal font the Paschal 
Candle, as representing Our Saviour, is thrice lowered 
into it, the celebrant praying meanwhile that the. virtue 
of the Holy Ghost may descend into the sacred font and 
sanctify it, as He descended upon Our Lord when He 
was baptized in the Jordan, thereby imparting to water 
the power of cleansing from sin those to whom it is ap- 
plied according to the institution of Christ. 

Considerable diversity of opinion exists with regard to 
the times during which the Paschal Candle should be 
lighted. The following from De Herdt is perhaps as fair 
a summary of these opinions as can be had, and will 
serve all practical purposes. According to a decree of 
the Sacred Congregation of Rites, of May 19, 1607, it is 
to be lighted at the solemn Mass and Vespers of Easter 
Sunday and on the tw^o following days ; on Easter Satur- 
day, and on all the Sundays to the Ascension, on which 
day it burns only to the end of the gospel, when it is 
finally extinguished. It is not to be lighted on other 
days or feasts celebrated within the Easter time, unless 
in churches where such a custom exists, which custom 
may be continued. According to the Memoriale Rittium 
of Benedict XIII., it is to be lighted also on the feasts of 
Our Lord, and on the feasts of precept of the saints oc- 
curring during the same season. Gavantus holds it ta 
be a pious custom to light it during the entire octave of 
Easter. In the opinion of Merati it would be proper ta 
have it burn on the feasts of the apostles, of the patron, 
titular, and of the dedication of the church occurring^ 
during Easter time; also on other feasts celebrated with 
solemnity ; during the Masses, though not solemn, on 
Sundays ; and during the celebration of solemn votives, 



210 The Paschal Candle. 

provided the color of the vestments is not violet. It is 
not to be lighted on the Rogation Days, according to the 
■same authority. It is to be lighted for the blessing of 
the baptismal font on the eve of Pentecost. The custom 
most generally followed in this country, though by no 
means universal, is to have the Paschal Candle burn on 
Sundays during Easter time at all the Masses and at 
Vespers. 

Another important question regarding the Paschal 
€andle is deserving of a few remarks. It is seldom or 
never entirely consumed; can it be blessed a second 
time ? This is sometimes done after it has been scraped 
and cleansed from drippings so as to appear in some 
sort new. Is this in harmony with the rubrics and with 
their interpretation by the best authorities ? De Herdt, 
who has summarized the authorities on this point, shall 
again answer. He says : ** The candle must be new, or 
not blessed ; or, if not new, must be entirely remoulded 
— refectus ; and if not remoulded, other wax must be 
added, and this in greater quantity than the old wax, 
otherwise the axiom will hold : Major pars trahit ad se 
minorem.^'' It may be remarked, parenthetically, that 
sometimes the lower part of the Paschal Candle is a 
separate and heavily ornamented piece of wax, which 
serves as a sort of pedestal or candlestick. This may be 
used each year, provided it has not been blessed with 
the Paschal Candle proper during the ceremony of Holy 
Saturday. Discussing the opinions of those who hold 
that the same candle may be blessed more than once, De 
Herdt draws a distinction that is worthy of attention. 
He says the repetition of a blessing is permitted when 
the blessing is what is called invocative, by which bless- 
ing the divine protection merely is besought, as in the 
(Case of food, etc. But with regard to that form of bless- 



The Paschal Candle, 21t 

ing which is known as constitutive, by which the things 
blessed become holy ia such a manner that they cannot 
afterward be devoted to profane uses, such as the bless- 
ing of a church, of sacerdotal vestments, and beyond 
doubt, of the Paschal Candle, so long as the articles, 
retain their proper form — quamdiu ipsce res integrce 
exist tint — it cannot be repeated. 

There is a relation between the Paschal Candle and 
the Agnus Dei which is deserving of notice. As has 
been said, it is seldom that the Paschal Candle is en- 
tirely consumed before the feast of the Ascension. It was 
not the custom in early times to remould the remnant of 
the candle left when it was finally extinguished, but the- 
faithful were accustomed to procure small portions of it,, 
and keep them in their homes as a sacred amulet to pro- 
tect them against evils, especially against tempests. All 
authors agree that it was from this pious custom that 
the Agnus Dei, which is now almost universally worn by 
devout Christians, derives its origin.^ 

1 See the f oUowing essay on the Agnus Dei. 



212 The Agnus Dei. 



XVIII.— THE AGNUS DEI. 

There is in every rational creature an intuition of 
the supernatural. Different individuals or peoples 
manifest it in different ways, but all manifest it in some 
way. The polished Greek embodied it in an exquisite 
sculpture ; the Egyptian, in a labyrinthian temple ; the 
Druid discovered it in the forest ; the Central African 
places it in a stick or a stone ; and the American Indian 
who wants to shoot the rapids of the St. Lawrence in 
his frail bark canoe propitiates the manitou of the 
waters with a few leaves of the tobacco so dear to him. 
1^0 man can entirely emancipate himself from the in- 
fluence of this universal belief. The infidel and the 
scoffer at both pagan and Christian beliefs are not with- 
out their superstitions, their lucky and unlucky days, 
their propitious and unpropitious omens. Deny it as 
they may, they cannot even conceal the fact. The 
Christian is the only logical person among them ; for he 
believes in a personal God, creating, preserving, and 
ruling the universe in its entirety and in all its minute 
details with a fatherly providence for the benefit of His 
rational creatures — alive to the wants of the least among 
them, and ever ready to turn a willing ear to their 
every petition. 

Among the consequences of this intuition of the 
supernatural, in the different ages of the world, is the 
desire to propitiate the unseen power, whether good or 
evil, by the use of amulets or charms worn suspended 
from the neck or carried about the person, as a means 
of warding off danger, disease, and all influence of the 



The Agnus Dei. 213 

evil principle, and invoking the aid of the good prin- 
ciple. Among pagans these amulets were fashioned 
into different forms. Sometimes they were little images 
•of the pagan deities ; sometimes they consisted of cer- 
tain drugs or herbs ; again they were certain letters of 
the alphabet arranged in an abracadabra ; and not in- 
frequently they were of a very objectionable character. 
The Romans, as every classic scholar is aware, hung 
about the neck of infants amulets of this kind with 
certain mythological significations, showing to which of 
the pagan deities the child was consecrated. On at- 
taining the age of fifteen years he assumed the toga 
^iriUs, or garb of manhood, and consecrated his amulet 
to the lares, or household gods of the family. In no 
part of the world does this superstition appear to have 
had so deep a hold as among the Romans, and great 
difficulty was experienced by the early preachers of the 
gospel in withdrawing them from the use of these relics 
of paganism. It was not until the lapse of centuries 
that it was entirely eradicated, especially in the rural 
districts. 

Christians, too, have their amulets — the crucifix, the 
scapular, blessed medals, the Agnus Dei, etc. — and 
these are with greater propriety called amulets, for they 
fulfil the meaning of the term, which, being derived 
from the Latin word amoUor, means ''I remove." 
According to this etymology, ''an amulet is something 
worn to remove or ward off danger ; and when the 
thing so worn has not of its own nature power to pro- 
duce this effect, to use it, confiding in it alone, would 
be the sin of superstition. Thus, when the old pagans 
hung around their necks certain stones, metals, or bits 
of parchment, with mysterious signs and figures in- 
scribed on them, and trusted in them for protection 



214 The Agnus Dei, 

against disease and witchcraft, they only proved the 
stupid folly into which human nature left to itself is 
sure to run. . . . But the Christian does not, like the 
pagan, put his trust in them on account of any inherent 
virtue which he imagines them to have, nor does he 
look to the enemy of his soul for assistance. His hope 
is in the Living God, who, listening to the prayers of 
His beloved Spouse, the Catholic Clmrch, blesses these 
material things, and bids His children keep them as. 
memorials of Him — as tokens that His divine providence 
will ever shelter them beneath its protecting wing." ^ 

The Agnus Dei is, then, no superstitious object, as 
some would fain have us believe, but one of those sacra- 
mentals by which the blessing of God is invoked upon 
those who wear it with proper dispositions, and one of 
those objects which the Church has successfully em> 
ployed to abolish a real superstition. It is a remarkable 
fact that those claiming the name of Christians, who 
discard the pious articles blessed by the Catholic Church, 
not infrequently themselves fall into real, culpable, and 
foolish superstitions. A striking instance of this is fur- 
nished by Queen Elizabeth of England. In the thir- 
teenth year of her reign it was enacted by Parliament 
that *' if any person shall bring into the realm of Eng- 
land any token or tokens, thing or things, called or 
named by the name of Agnus Dei (which said Agnus 
Dei is used to be specially hallowed and consecrated, as 
it is termed, by the Bishop of Rome in his own person), 
and shall deliver the same to any subject, he shall incur 
the penalty of FrcBmunire,'^^ ^ After this it was hardly 

1 Barry, pp. 136, 137. 

2 This was a very severe punishment, entailing on the offender, in 
the words of Lord Coke, that he "shall be out of the king's protec- 
tion j and his lands and tenements, goods and chattels, forfeited ta 



The Agnics Dei. 215 

to be expected t'nat the very sovereign who enacted 
such severe laws against '' vain and superstitious things " 
should herself become guilty of gross superstition. But 
Parson says: ^' One of her privy councillors presented 
her with a piece of gold of the bigness of an angel/ 
<limly marked with some small characters, which he 
said an old woman in Wales bequeathed to her on her 
death-bed, telling her that the said old woman, by 
virtue of the same, lived to the age of one hundred and 
odd years, and could not die as long as she wore it upon 
her body ; but being withered, and wanting nature to 
nourish her body, it was taken off, and she died. The 
<iueen, upon the confidence she had thereof, took the 
said gold, and wore it on her ruff." ' 

What, it may be asked, is the Agnus Dei, and why 
oalled by that name? It is scarcely necessary to say 
that Agnus Dei are Latin words signifying ''Lamb of 
Ood." The Agnus Dei has a twofold signification, the 
first being that it represents the Lamb of God. All the 
ceremonies of the blessing of it point to this primary 
signification, as will appear later on. The reader of 
both the Old and the New Testament need not be told 
that the lamb was, in the ceremonial law and in the 
writings of the prophets, the symbol of Christ. Nor 
need he be referred to the numerous passages in which 
the long-expected Messias is compared in His meekness 
to the lamb. In the New Testament He is frequently 
referred to in the same manner, and is called by John 
the Baptist '*the Lamb of God, who taketh away the 
sins of the world." * But why are these blessed objects 

the king ; and that his body shall remain in prison at the king's 
pleasure." 

^ An ancient gold coin of England, worth about ten shillings, and 
so named from the figure of an angel stamped upon it. 

2 " Discussions," pp. 217, 218. 3 st. John, i. 29. 



216 The Agnus Dei. 

named the lamb, and not rather the lion, for Christ is 
called the *' Lion of the tribe of Juda " ^ And since 
they are to be a defence against our spiritual enemies^ 
is it not strength, as typified by the lion, rather than 
gentleness, as symbolized by the lamb, that we should 
be endowed with ? The reason for this name is found 
in the second signification of the Agnus Dei— its refer- 
ence to the newly baptized. These, in the words of St. 
Paul, put on Jesus Christ, are incorporated into His 
mystical body, and become new lambs of His flock, and 
as such are bound to imitate His virtues. Now, it is a 
remarkable fact that, though Our Saviour illustrated 
every virtue in an infinitely perfect degree during His 
sojourn upon earth, there are but two which He bids us 
learn especially from Him. '' Learn frctm Me that I am 
meek and humble of heart " — the characteristics of the 
lamb and not of the lion. In His triumph over the 
powers of darkness He is indeed the Lion of the tribe of 
Juda ; but among His children, as their model, He is the 
meek Lamb ; and, as lambs, they are to walk even as 
He walked. Hence the name Agnus Dei, The purity 
of their lives is typified by the immaculate whiteness of 
the wax ; the meekness of their conduct by the figure of 
the lamb impressed upon it. Mystical writers deduce 
many other symbolical meanings from the part which 
the lamb played in the religious ceremonies of the Old 
Law ; but they shall be passed over as not being inti- 
mately connected with our subject. 

Great variety of opinion exists with regard to the ori- 
gin of the Agnus Dei and the date of its introduction. 
Writers of the time of Charlemagne — that is, near the 
close of the eighth century — inform us that on the morn- 
ing of Holy Saturday the archdeacon was accustomed 
* Apocalypse, v. 5. . .. 



The Agnus Dei. 217 

to pour melted wax into a vessel prepared for the pur- 
pose and mix it with oil. From this admixture he formed 
fgures in the shape of lambs, which, after being blessed, 
were kept in a suitable place to await the concluding 
ceremony, which took place on Low Sunday. On that 
day the lambs, which must have been quite small, were 
given to the people to be used in fumigating their houses, 
or to be placed in the fields and vineyards as a protection 
against the machinations of the spirit of evil, and against 
danger from lightning and thunder. John Albert 
"Widmanstadius, Jurisconsult and Chancellor of Eastern 
Austria under Frederic I., writes that when baptism was 
solemnly administered — which ceremony was performed 
by the bishop only — if any received this sacrament at 
Eome, it was the custom to give them, as a holy amulet, 
a wax seal stamped with the figure of a lamb bearing a 
banner, which had been immersed in water mingled with 
consecrated chrism, as a symbol of baptism. Although 
authors are not wanting who call this statement in ques- 
tion, it is accepted and defended by no less a scholar 
than Pope Benedict XIV., in his work on the canoni- 
zation of saints. He proves, further, that the use of wax 
is of very great antiquity, and furnishes as an evidence 
the fact that in the year 1544 the tomb of Maria Augusta, 
wife of the Emperor Honorius, who died before the 
middle of the fourth century, was opened, and in it was 
found, besides a great variety of gems, etc., a wax 
Agnus Dei. That the latter was in use among Christians 
at that early day, the learned Pontiff asserts, is in har- 
mony with the opinion of Cardinal Augustine Valerius, 
who refers the origin of blessing wax Agnus Deis to the 
beginning of the fifth century. Molanus quotes, without, 
however, approving, the opinion of those who are in 
favor of a still more remote antiquity, placing the origin 



218 The Agnus Dei. 

of the AgniLs Dei as early as the time of the Emperor 
Constantine, and, therefore, near the beginning of the 
fourth century. The discovery of the Agnus Dei in the 
tomb of the pious Empress Maria Augusta is the strongest 
evidence of the antiquity of its introduction among. 
Christians. The annotator of Molanus, quoting from 
the CosmograpMe Universelle^ gives the following ac- 
count of it : *^ Among other things was a hulla — one of 
those which at present are called Agnus Deis — around 
whose circumference was the inscription, 'Maria 
Florentissima,'' " Two difficulties here present them- 
selves, which have not escaped the attention of those 
who deny to the Agnus Dei so great an antiquity : namely, 
whether wax could be preserved for a thousand years ; 
and whether this object was identical with the Agnus^ 
Dei now in use. Both sides of the question are, naturally,, 
warmly disputed ; and I shall not attempt to decide what 
others have found it impossible to settle. 

Mabillon, while disputing the conclusions of those who 
argue from Prudentius that the custom of blessing the 
Paschal Candle existed in the fourth century, yet proves 
from Eunodius, a bishop who flourished before the year 
520, that it certainly did exist at the beginning of the 
sixth century. The ^'Catholic Dictionary" places the 
beginning of the custom as early at least as the time of 
Pope Zosimus, who ascended the throne of Peter in the 
year 417. When the Paschal Candle was finally extin- 
guished on Ascension Day, the people were accustomed, 
as we have seen, to procure small portions of what was> 
left of it, and carry them home as a protection against 
tempests. All authors are agreed that it was from this, 
custom of the people that the Agnus Dei derived its ori- 
gin. But Molanus still maintains that the custom of 
blessing the Agnus Dei cannot be proved to have existed 



TJie Agnus Dei. 219 

prior to the eighth or ninth century. In a number of 
dioceses which he names, as well as in certain others, a 
custom existed, especially among the inhabitants of the 
rural districts, of taking portions of the candles blessed 
on the feast of the Purification of the Mother of God, 
forming them into crosses, and placing them in their 
homes, or at the tops of their chimneys {externce cami- 
novum orcB), as it were in the most conspicuous place of 
their houses. But, evidently, this could not have been 
prior to the time at which the blessing of candles on the 
feast of the Purification was introduced into the Church, 
a point which will be discussed in the next essay. 
Earonius, no mean authority, would give the Agnus Dei 
a still greater antiquity than any of the writers already 
quoted. 

In such a diversity of opinion among the learned who 
have made this question a matter of careful study, it is 
impossible to arrive at any definite conclusion, except 
that the Agnus Dei is of very great antiquity ; but of 
how great no one will ever be able to determine with 
any degree of certainty. Perhaps the conclusion arrived 
at by Maurel (p. 267) is as near the truth as we can hope 
at this distant day to come — that " it is spoken of in the 
Eoman Ordo, which in the opinion of the learned is an- 
terior to the eighth century." But setting these ques- 
tions aside, it will be more instructive for us to turn to 
the manner in which the Agnus Bex is blessed and comes 
to us. 

At the present day, and for some time past, the 
Agnus Dei is blessed only by the Pope. The ceremony 
takes place, according to Molanus, during Easter time, 
in the first year of the reign of the Sovereign Pontiff, 
and once every seven years thereafter. The " Catholic 
Dictionary" says the blessing is performed on the 



220 The Agnus Dei. 

Thursday of Easter week, while Barry will have it on 
Low Sunday. This last opinion is evidently erroneous, 
as will be seen from the ceremony of the distribution, 
which takes place on the Saturday before Low Sunday. 
The ceremony of the blessing is as follows : The Pope 
first blesses water, after which he pours balsam and oil 
into it, in the form of a cross. He then recites a number 
of prayers and blessings over the masses of wax fashioned 
into the form of lambs. This done, the wax images are 
carried on silver trays with great solemnity by the at- 
tendants to the Holy Father, who immerses them in the 
blessed water. The prelates who are in attendance on 
the occasion lift them out of the water, and, having 
dried them, put them in a place prepared for their re- 
ception, where they remain till the following Saturday. 
It may be remarked in passing that at first water only 
w^as used in the blessing of the Agnus Dei, but that 
afterward oil and balsam were added. It may also be 
noted that although the masses of wax are formed into 
lambs, these are not all of the same size ; and, further, 
that certain inscriptions and the images of saints, as 
well as the figure of a lamb, are sometimes stamped on 
them. 

On the Saturday of Easter week during the Mass of 
the Holy Father a subdeacon carries the Agnus Deis to 
the altar on a large silver tray, before the Pope's Com- 
munion, singing at the same time : '•' Holy Father, these 
are the young lambs which have announced to yon 
Alleluia. Behold, they have just come from the foun- 
tains : They are filled with light, Alleluia " — words 
which evidently apply rather to the newly baptized than 
to the wax images. The Pope then distributes the 
Ag7ius Deis, with appropriate ceremony, during the 
singing of the Agnus Dei of the Mass — first to the 




The Kuptial Blessing. 



See page 253. 



The Agnus Dei, 221 

cardinals, who on receiving them kiss his hand ; next to 
the bishops, wearing their mitres, who kiss his right 
knee ; and, finally, to the prothonotaries, who prostrate 
themselves and kiss the cross on his sandal. From the 
hands of these several persons the Agnus Deis find their 
way by subdivision and distribution to all parts of the 
world, where, with the care of pious persons, religious 
women for the most part, they are divided into small 
portions and encased in appropriate covers — generally 
in the form of a heart — for the use of the faithful. 

After having learned something of the manner in 
which the Agnus Dei is blessed and reaches us, a very 
practical question is, What spiritual benefit may we ex- 
pect to derive from the devout use of this holy amulet ? 
But first it may be remarked, as to the manner of wear- 
ing it, that it differs from the scapular ; for, while the 
latter must be worn so that one part hangs upon the 
breast and the other on the back, with one string pass- 
ing over each shoulder, the latter may be worn attached 
to the scapular, or it may be carried in any other way 
about the person. The manner of wearing it is not 
prescribed as a condition for securing the benefits at- 
tached to it. This premised, it may be said that the 
benefits which the devout wearer of the Agnus Dei may 
expect to reap from it are well expressed in the prayers 
recited in the blessing which it receives at the hands of 
the Holy Father. 

By these several benedictions the Church, the di- 
vinely appointed dispenser of the mysteries of God^ 
causes inanimate objects to become vehicles for convey- 
ing graces and the divine protection to such of the faith- 
ful as use them with lively faith, ardent charity, and 
firm confidence in God ; and not only so, but the divine 
mercy sometimes goes, if we may be allowed the expres- 



^22 The Agnus Dei. 

■sion, to extraordinary lengths, and by means of them 
bestows graces upon some persons who, to all human 
discernment, are manifestly unworthy of them, to con- 
vince us that the Spirit breathes w^here He will, and 
to encourage sinners to repentance. Few priests but 
hate witnessed a greater or less number of these extraor- 
dinary manifestations of the divine mercy. And if 
this be true, as it certainly is, of a scapular or medal 
blessed by the simplest priest, — though he has received 
in his ordination the power that whatsoever he blesses 
\shall be blessed, and w^hatsoever he sanctifies shall be 
sanctified, — much more should it be true of the Agnus 
I>ei^ which is blessed by him who is head of the Church, 
who sits on the throne of the Prince of the apostles, and 
lias received from Jesus Christ, as His vicar upon earth, 
the plenitude of power for binding and loosing, for en- 
acting laws and granting privileges. 

In the Agnas Bei^ as an object blessed by the 
<^hurch, two things are to be considered : first, the 
power conferred on it as a sacramental, of being an 
instrument of grace ; and' secondly, the power it pos- 
^sesses of awakening in the persons who use it with the 
proper dispositions sentiments of faith, devotion, and 
'Confidence, so efficacious in calling down the blessings of 
heaven. 

It is unnecessary to pause to dwell upon the numerous 
ivell-authenticated miracles that have been wrought by 
means of the Agnus Dei; for the devout Catholic is 
always prepared to expect and believe in such mani- 
festations of the divine mercy, when they are for the 
lionor and glory of God and the good of His creatures. 
It may be remarked, however, that there is no indul- 
gence attached to the wearing of the Agnus Dei ; and 
further, that the prayer to be said by those who wear 



The Agnus DeL 223.. 

it, found in some prayer-books, is not of obligation. 
The following is a brief and clear enumeration of the 
benefits to be derived from the use of this sacramental ^ 
** The Supreme Pontiff implores of God to bless, sanctify,, 
and consecrate them in such a way that the faithful 
who, with a sincere and lively faith, piously use them; 
may obtain the following graces : (1) That the sight or 
touch of the lamb impressed on these figures, exciting 
the hearts of the faithful to contemplate the mysteries- 
of our redemption, may induce them to thank and bless- 
and adore the divine goodness, and thus obtain for them 
pardon of their faults. (2) That the sign of the cross, 
represented on these figures may remove evil spirits^ 
hail, thunder-storms, and tempests. (3) That, through, 
the efficacy of the divine blessing, they may escape the 
wiles and temptations of the dragon. (4) That women- 
bearing children may be preserved from all harm, and. 
favored with a happy delivery. (5) That pestilence^ 
falling-sickness, water, or fire may have no power over 
them. (6) That both in prosperity and adversity these 
pious Christians may be fortified with the divine protec- 
tion ; and that through the mysteries of the life and. 
passion of Our Lord they may be preserved from a sud- 
den and unprovided death, from every other danger,, 
and from every evil. . . . When we are deprived of these 
blessings, we are to attribute the privation to our own. 
want of faith and piety, or to some other latent cause,, 
which prevents Our Saviour from enriching us with suck 
extraordinary benefits." * 

Barry (pp. 140-142) has the following very appropri- 
ate remarks on the pious sentiments with which the 
Agnus Dei should be worn : ' ' The Agnus Dei repre^ 
sents Our Lord, and he who would wear it devoutlyr 

* Maurel, pp. 268, 269. 



224 The Agnus Dei, 

must imitate Him in His lamblike virtues — meekness, 
innocence, and indifference to the world. . . . The meek 
Christian, and only he, has caught the devotion of the 
Agnus Dei, . . . Innocence — spotless purity of soul and 
body — is another virtue of the wearer of the Agnus Dei. 
Wax and the lamb have ever been the chosen emblems 
of the angelic virtue. When we touch or look at our 
holy amulet, let us remember that the breast on which 
it reposes must be sinless. And if the angel of Satan is 
hovering around us, striving to inflict the death-blow 
on our souls, let us press the Agnus Dei closer to our 
hearts, that it may be a sign to him that he has no 
power over us, as the blood of the paschal lamb on the 
doors of the Hebrews was a sign to the angel of the 
Lord. The third virtue which springs from a reverent 
use of the Agnus Dei is indifference to the world. The 
lamb is dumb before his shearer, teaching us silence 
when shorn of our fair name ; it is shy of a stranger, 
that we may learn from it to be distrustful of the world 
and its vanities — that we journey on as strangers and 
pilgrims, till called to the marriage-feast of the Lamb in 
heaven. The Agnus Dei serves to call to our minds the 
promises of baptism. It represents the whiteness of our 
souls after being washed in the saving waters of regen- 
eration." In allusion to this symbolism, the subdeacon 
who brings the Agnus Deis to the Pope for distribution 
oalls them, as we have seen, young lambs just come 
from the fountains. 

There are no decrees of the Roman Congregations with 
regard to the Agnus Dei; but there is one of Pope 
•Gregory XIII. which prohibits all persons whatever, 
whether lay or cleric, secular or regular, under pain of 
excommunication, to be incurred by the very act, from 
painting, gilding, or in any way coloring the Agnus Dei; 



The Agnus Dei, 225 

because, as the Pontiff remarks, it represents the pure 
and immaculate Lamb, who shed His most precious 
blood for our redemption. Barry says (p. 143) that the 
same Sovereign Pontiff also forbade the exposing of the 
Agnus Dei for sale ; but, though this sale is well known 
to be forbidden, Molanus does not mention it in his ex- 
tract from the decree of the Pope. The prohibition to 
paint or otherwise color the Agnus Dei refers only to 
the wax of which it is composed, and not to the cover- 
ing in which it is encased, which may be, and generally 
is, very properly orname.nted with various pious devices. 
But the notion of some persons is deserving of censure, 
to esteem the pretty covering more than the pious object 
itself. Alas for the vanity of some Christians ! Others 
are found to value an Agnus Dei because they have re- 
ceived it from some particular priest or prelate. While 
this need not be condemned, being no more than a natu- 
ral feeling, harmless in itself, it must not be forgotten 
that the Agnus Dei derives all its efficacy from the bless- 
ing imparted to it by the Father of the faithful, and 
from no one else. Other persons not well informed will 
inquire, on receiving an Agnus Dei, whether it is blessed 
or not. Such persons must be told that all Agnus Deis 
are blessed, and would not be Agnus Deis at all if it 
were not for the blessing they have received at the hands 
of the Sovereign Pontiff. There are two other classes of 
persons for whom a word may not be out of place. 
They are, first, those who make light of Agnus Deis,, 
scapulars, medals, etc., and make fun of those who 
wear them. ISTo true child of the Church will ever be 
guilty of this fault of making light of anything which 
the Church approves or blesses for the pious use of the 
faithful. We are not bound to make use of these ob- 
jects, but we are strictly forbidden to jest about them. 



226 The Agnus Dei. 

It may be, and frequently is, true that some people 
would seem to carry the use of these things to an ex- 
treme by wearing all the medals and other pious objects 
they can find, loading themselves down, it might almost 
be said, with them. But what matter ? It can do them 
no harm ; and their wearing of them can burden no one 
else. Let them alone ; it is their business. The other 
class is composed of those who do not think themselves 
good enough to carry such pious objects about them. 
While they are mistaken, they have this at least in their 
favor : they are conscious of the fact that these objects 
are to be treated with a degree of reverence ; and they 
do treat them so, but in an erroneous manner. Here is 
a point which many persons do not, and it may, in some 
cases at least, be said will not, understand — these things 
are not a reward of virtue, but a means of acquiring it. 
Much more might be said of the Agnus Dei — of the 
esteem in which it was and is held by popes, prelates, 
priests, civil rulers of the highest position, and eminent 
lay Catholics ; but it is not necessary to enlarge fur'ther 
on this subject. The solemnity with which this sacra- 
mental is blessed and distributed, the graces that are 
besought of God in the consecration it receives, the bene- 
fits derived from its pious use, the true Lamb which it 
represents, and the innocence of baptism which it typi- 
fies, with other considerations which will readily present 
themselves to the pious Catholic, will hardly fail to 
impress him with a correct idea of his duty in regard to 
the Agnus Dei. Let everyone take it and wear it de- 
voutly, and God Himself will show what great benefits 
it bestows.* 

1 The authorities referred to in the preparation of this essay are 
Joannes Molani, in " Cursus Completus," vol. xxvii. coll. 4-25, et seq.; 
Barry; Maurel ; the "Catholic Dictionary;'' the London Tablety 
April 17 and June 26, 1886; and the otlier authorities named. 



Blessed Candles, 227 



XIX.— BLESSED CANDLES. 

With the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary is 
closed the series of feasts that circle around the cradle 
of Bethlehem. On Christmas are presented the birth 
of the long-expected Redeemer of the world, the Desired 
of nations, and His manifestation to the Jews, in the 
persons of the poor shepherds, as the One for whom 
their fathers and the prophets had yearned. Epiphany 
completes that manifestation by presenting Him to the 
Gentiles, represented by the Wise Men, as Him in whom 
the Gentiles should hope. Now Mary crowns the great 
work by offering Him in the temple to the Eternal 
Eather as the Victim by whose atonement a permanent 
reconciliation is to be effected between God and man, 
the gates of heaven are to be opened, and the thrones 
made vacant by the fall of the angels re-occupied. Did 
it fall within the scope of this essay much might be 
written on these points ; but we are concerned in this 
place with the blessing of the candles only and the institu- 
tion of the feast upon wiiich that ceremony takes place. 

Dr. Wapelhorst ^ very properly draws attention to a 
point which it is well to bear in mind, especially in our 
day when the mystic is lost sight of to so great an ex- 
tent, and when everything is sought to be judged, even 
by many Catholics of the lax and imperfectly informed 
class, by the criterion of the senses without any relation 
to the supernatural. He says: *'The service of the 

^ The opinions of Dr. Wapelhorst given in this essay are taken for 
the most part from an article, " Liturgical Lights," found in the 
American Ecclesiastical Review, vol. ii. pp. 98 et seq. 



228 Blessed Candles, 

Church in each detail is eminently what the Apostle of 
the Gentiles directed the Romans to offer, ' your reason- 
able service,' which, if rightly understood, renders its 
strict observance as agreeable as it is beneficial. . . . 
The two cardinal principles which determine the eccle- 
siastical legislation regarding liturgical lights are : first, 
the symbolical meaning of lights, and, second, tradition, 
or what might be called historical consistency.'' 

The use of lights in the Jewish temple is well known ; 
and, though there is difference of opinion as to whether 
they burned during the day or not, it is more probable 
they did, as Josephus expressly states. Inasmuch as 
the first Christians were converts from Judaism, it would 
appear but natural for them to continue the use of lights 
in the New Dispensation ; for if they were appropriate 
in the ceremonies of the worship which was but the 
shadow of the better things to come, much more appro- 
priate are they in that form of worship which is the 
reality. Besides, they would aid in reconciling the con- 
verts to the change of religion. 

The best authorities on the liturgy maintain that the 
use of lights during the celebration of the divine mys- 
teries is of apostolic origin ; an opinion which gains 
weight from certain passages in the New Testament, 
especially from St. John's vision in the Apocalypse (i. 
12, 13), as well as from the custom of the Jews just re- 
ferred to. The first mention of the use of lights in the 
New Law is found in the Acts of the Apostles (xx. 8) ; 
but these, it would seem, were used rather from neces- 
sity, to dispel the darkness, than as an adjunct to divine j 
worship. The use of lights is mentioned in all the Ori- .| 
ental liturgies. But perhaps the first direct testimony 
to the use of lights in that portion of the Church is fur- 
nished by St. Jerome, in the fourth century, in his reply 



Blessed Candles. 229 

to the heretic Vigilantius, who attacked their presence 
as superfluous. The celebrated Father and Doctor re- 
plied—and his rejoinder implies that the use of lights 
was a custom of long standing: — "Throughout the 
churches of the East, whenever the gospel is read, they 
bring forth lights ; not certainly to drive away darkness, 
but to manifest some sign of joy, that under the type 
of corporeal light may be symbolized that light of which 
we read in the psalms (cxviii. 105) : 'Thy word is a 
lamp to my feet and a light to my paths.' " 

St. Paulinus, the scholarly Bishop of Nola, who flour- 
ished in the first half of the fifth century, bears testi- 
mony to the use of lights in the celebration of the divine 
mysteries in the Western Church. Dr. Rock gives us in 
his Hierurgia the following translation of a part of one 
of his numerous hymns : 

*' With crowded lamps are those bright altars crowned, 
And waxen tapers, shedding perfume round 
From fragrant wicks, beam calm a scented ray 
To gladden night and joy e'en radiant day. 
Meridian splendors thus light up the night, 
And day itself, illumed with Sacred Light, 
Wears a new glory, borrowed from those rays 
That stream from countless lamps in never-ending blaze." 

Although candles were used in all probability from 
apostolic times in the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice, 
Wapelhorst concludes, after carefully weighing the au- 
thorities, that "during the first ten centuries of the 
Church's life no candles were placed directly upon the 
altar, or at least upon the table of the altar ; but there 
were always quite a number of lights kept round about 
the altar. Burning lamps were suspended partly in 
-front, partly above the altar, and betwixt the columns 



230 Blessed Candles. 

of the ciborium, or canopy above the altar." Large 
chandeliers are also mentioned by early writers, which 
either in the sanctuary or immediately before it shed 
light from hundreds of lamps or candles. As an exam- 
ple it may be mentioned that Pope Adrian I. (772-795) 
had a chandelier made for St. Peter's which held thirteen 
hundred and seventy candles. 

The use of lights in the administration of the sacra- 
ments and other sacred functions may be traced to the 
respect we should have for these sacred rites, and also 
to the symbolical meaning of wax and light already re- 
ferred to. But only in baptism is direct reference made 
to the candle. This is done when, toward the end of the 
ceremony, a lighted candle is placed in the hand of the 
newly baptized, or his sponsors, with the solemn ad- 
monition : ''Receive this burning light, and preserve 
your baptism blamelessly ; keep the commandments of 
God, in order that when the Lord shall come to the mar- 
riage-feast you may run to meet Him with all the saints 
in His celestial palace, and may have life everlasting and 
live forever and ever. Amen." Early writers mention 
the use of lights at funeral obsequies, especially of per- 
sons of note ; and the number of lamps found in the 
catacombs and in other early sepulchres of the Christians 
confirm their statements. 

"Light," says Wapelhorst, "is the fittest and most 
appropriate symbol of God, an absolutely pure spirit. 
Light is itself pure ; it penetrates long distances ; it 
moves with incredible velocity ; it awakens and propa- 
gates life in the organic kingdom ; it illumines with its 
brilliancy all that comes under its influence. Therefore 
the Holy Scriptures make frequent use of this symbolic 
meaning. . . . ' God is light, and in Him there is no 



Blessed Candles, 231 

darkness.' ^ The wisdom of the Son is called ^ the bright- 
ness of eternal light,' and 'the brightness of glory.' ^ 
The psalmist exclaims (ciii. 2) : * Thou art clothed with 
light as with a garment.' " 

Light also represents the mission of our divine Lord 
upon earth. The prophet Isaias (ix. 2) calls Him a great 
light, and foretells that ' ' to them that dwelt in the re- 
gion of the shadow of death light is risen ; " and holy 
Simeon declares that He is '' a light to the revelation of 
the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel." To- 
these St. John adds that He was '^ the true light, which 
enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world." 
And Christ says of Himself, '' I am the light of the 
world." ^ The Sacred Scripture abounds in similar 
passages, but these are sufficient. 

Lights are also significant of respect, and hence they 
are used on occasions w^hen it is desired to show more 
than ordinary deference to distinguished personages or 
to holy things. Both the Greeks and the Komans em- 
ployed them in the celebration of many of their pagan 
rites. Josephus informs us that, out of the great rever- 
ence which the chosen people entertained for the vest- 
ments of the high-priest, a light was kept constantly 
burning before them. The Grand Lama, or supreme 
pontiff, of Tartary is never seen in his palace without 
having a profusion of lamps and torches burning around 
him. The same custom is found in many abbeys, where 
at meals two candles, with the crucifix between them, 
burn on the table before the abbot. And it is a uni- 
versal, or almost universal, rule of royal etiquette to 
burn two or more candles before kings and princes on 
important occasions, such as state dinners, etc. 

^I. St. John, i. 15. 2Heb.,i. 3. 

3 St, Luke, ii. 3-^ ; St. John, viii. 12 and i. 9. 



232 Blessed Candles, 

It is a remarkable fact that no work on the liturgy 
makes mention of any other than beeswax candles in 
any of the sacred functions of religion, except to con- 
demn them unqualifiedly ; and the very name — cereiis — 
most frequently made use of is the Latin word for this 
wax. The law requiring candles for the altar to be 
made of beeswax is very strict, and it is rarely indeed, 
as we shall see, that a dispensation is granted for the 
use of any other material ; and it is never granted on 
account of poverty^ no matter how great that poverty 
may he. The only ground recognized by the Church is 
the impossibility of procuring beeswax ; and as soon as 
it can be had the dispensation ceases by that very fact. 
The reason the Church has selected the candle as the 
type of Our Lord is thus explained by St. Anselm: *' The 
wax produced by the virginal bee represents Christ's 
most spotless body ; the wick enclosed in the wax and 
forming one with it images His soul, while the ruddy 
flame crowning and completing the union of wax and 
wick typifies the divine nature subsisting in the human 
in one divine Person.'' 

The spread of the Church in missionary countries, 
especially during the present century, and the great 
difficulty encountered in many instances in procuring 
the requisites for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice, 
rendered it necessary for the perplexed missionaries and 
their bishops to address numerous questions to the 
Sacred Congregation of Rites regarding what might be 
permitted in the peculiar circumstances in which they 
were placed, so as to comply at once with the require- 
ments of liturgical law and at the same time afford their 
people, as far as possible, the consolations of religion. 
It is doubtful whether any question perplexed them more 
than that of the material which it would be lawful to use 



Blessed Candles, 233 

for lights at the altar. But while the authorities ab 
Rome attached due importance to the difficulties by 
which the missionaries were surrounded, they still ad- 
hered to the laws, the traditions, and the symbolic mean- 
ings of the liturgy, and no general relaxation was per- 
mitted, though special indults were granted in a few cases 
until the existing abnormal condition of affairs could be 
changed for the better. Again, poverty, added to these 
difficulties, often led to the making of candles of other 
material than wax, such as vegetable or artificial wax, 
sperm, stearine, paraffine, tallow, and sometimes of a 
mixture of beeswax with one or another of these baser 
materials. Prelates from various parts of the world ap- 
pealed to the Holy See for permission to use such candles, 
partly on the ground of poverty, partly on that of the 
impossibility of procuring beeswax, and partly because 
in countries where the proper material could be had 
there were not wanting some who continued the use of 
other than wax candles, with the tacit permission oi 
their bishops. The case was put in its strongest light ; 
but of all the multitudinous petitions presented the only 
one granted was that of the Vicar Apostolic of Corea, 
who was permitted to use the wax exuding from a tree 
of that country, because it was impossible to procure 
beeswax, and because that wax resembled the proper 
material. The Sacred Congregation, however, it is well 
to remember, did not reply that it was lawful to use 
this wax, but that they would apply to the Holy Father 
for special permission to use it till such time as beeswax 
could be had. It is a point worthy of careful attention 
that the use of any other material than beeswax is never 
permitted except provisionally. 

A remarkable instance,' which shows the unchangeable 
mind of the Church on this point, is furnished by Dr. 



S34 Blessed Candles, 

Wapelhorst in the following words : *'The superiors of 
the missions of Oceanica, finding it impossible to obtain 
beeswax for candles, had requested the Sacred Congre- 
gation to allow the use of sperm and stearine candles. 
The Sacred Congregation of Rites answered that, it being 
impossible to obtain wax, the missionaries of that coun- 
try might, by a special privilege which the Holy See 
granted in their behalf, make use of olive oil instead ; 
and, if this failed, they might celebrate Mass without 
lights. The superiors had recourse again, stating that 
it w'as not in their power to obtain olive oil any more 
than wax, and that the missionaries were unwilling to 
celebrate without lights. Upon this the Sacred Congre- 
gation of Rites answered, September 7, 1850, that they 
might make use of sperm or stearine candles till it would 
become possible to obtain wax or oil." Whatever the 
opinion of others may be, I cannot, in view of these 
decisions, see how anyone can use other than wax can- 
dles on the altar in this country at the present time. 
It is beyond all possible question entirely alien from the 
spirit of the Church. But it will be said that many of 
the so-called wax candles offered for sale are not pure 
wax — perhaps are not half beeswax. This question has 
not escaped the attention of the Sacred Congregation of 
Rites ; for a priest consulted that body on the matter, 
and the answer, under date of March 8, 1879, was that 
he should abide by the decision of his bishop. 

Before treating of the blessing of candles it will be 
proper for us to inquire into the origin of the feast of 
the Purification, upon w^hich that ceremony takes place, 
and why it is fixed on that day and no other. While 
the purification was one of the ordinances of the Mosaic 
law (Exodus, xiii. 2), the date of its institution as a 
Christian feast, with its procession and the blessing of 



Blessed Candles. 235 

candles, is not so easily ascertained. Our divine Re- 
deemer came, as He declares, not to destroy the law, but 
to fulfil it ; and, though neither He nor His blessed 
Mother was subject to the law of purification, they both 
complied with it to leave to mankind an example of 
humility and obedience. With them, however, it was 
not merely a ceremony, in acknowledgment of the 
supreme dominion of God over His rational creatures^ 
but an act full of the deepest signification. But the 
purpose at present is to treat of the feast only in its 
relation to the blessing 'and use of candles. 

There are several reasons why the Church instituted 
this feast, and fixed on it the blessing of candles. In 
the first place, it comes forty days after the date usually 
assigned as that of Our Saviour's birth, and hence corre- 
sponds to the purification required by the law of Moses. 
Again, it is well known that the Church, instead of try- 
ing to obliterate entirely the remembrance of a pagan 
feast in her converts, — and much more of a Jewish one, 
— sometimes changes it into a Christian solemnity, the 
better .to win the erring to her fold, and avert the 
danger of a return to their pagan superstitions. 

Some writers maintain that it was Pope Gelasius, who 
ruled the Church at the close of the fifth century, that 
instituted the feast of the Purification, to take the place 
of the Lupercalia, which is said to have been established 
by Evander, and which was celebrated annually on the 
loth of February. It was intended as a purification 
of the people, although its ceremonies were among the 
most revolting of ancient pagan rites. Other authori- 
ties, however, hold that the institution of the feast is of 
much earlier date, and that the candles which are car- 
ried in procession in honor of the Mother of God were 
intended to withdraw the people from the pagan custom 



236 Blessed Candles. 

of carrying lights through the streets of Rome in honor 
of a pagan goddess. To reconcile these conflicting opin- 
ions, it is said that Pope Gelasius did away with the 
Lupercalia, but that the feast of the Purification was 
established at an earlier date. Benedict XIV., after 
passing the various opinions in review, concludes that 
the feast was instituted to take the place of the Ambiir- 
balia, a pagan sacrifice which was offered in February 
every five years, after receiving tribute from the 
provinces ; a feast at which those who participated in 
it went through Rome carrying torches and performing 
certain ceremonies for the purification of the city. He 
concludes that Gelasius did away with the Lupercalia, 
but did not establish the feast of the Purification, and 
that Pope Sergius I., at the close of the seventh century, 
substituted the procession of the feast for that of the 
Amburbalia. But the discussion does not rest here ; for 
other writers insist that the feast of the Purification was 
celebrated in Jerusalem in the fifth century, and was 
not then of recent institution. The Bollandists refer the 
establishment of it to apostolic times, at least in the 
Eastern Church. This opinion may, I think, be re- 
garded as the most probable, both on account of the 
weight of the authority on which it rests, and the fact 
that it was in the East that Mary came to the temple for 
the performance of the ceremony of the purification. 
What more natural than that this event should be first 
commemorated on the spot where it actually took place, 
though the ceremony may since have undergone modi- 
fications ? 

The suffix mas, connected with the name of certain 
feasts, as Christmas, Candlemas, etc., was formerly 
more common than it is at present, especially in Eng- 
land in Catholic times ; and it would appear to owe its 



Blessed Candles. 237 

origin to the obligation of the members of the gilds and 
trades-unions to assist at Mass on the feasts of their 
respective patron saints and on certain other great feasts 
of the ecclesiastical year, which were designated by the 
name of the saint or the feast with the suffix mas, as 
Michaelmas, etc/ 

Turning to the blessing of the candles, the mind of 
the Church is well shown forth in the prayers — five in 
number — which are recited by the priest during the 
ceremony, as well as in the antiphons sung during the 
procession. In the first of these prayers we beg of God, 
— who created all things, who by the labor of the bees 
brought this liquid to the perfection of wax, and who, 
on this day, fulfilled His promise to holy Simeon, — by 
the invocation of His holy Name and the intercession of 
the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of all the saints, to bless 
xind sanctify the candles presented for blessing ; that 
they may be for the service of His people and for the 
health of their bodies and souls wherever they may 
ohance to be, whether on land or water, and that He 
would at all times hear the prayers of His people who 
desire to carry these candles in their hands. In the 
second prayer our divine Saviour, who was received in 
the arms of holy Simeon, is entreated to bless and 
sanctify with the light of His heavenly benediction the 
candles which His servants desire to receive and carry 
lighted in honor of His holy Name, to the end that they 
may be made worthy to be inflamed with His sweetest 
oharity, and may deserve to be presented in the temple 
of His eternal glory. The third prayer entreats Our 
Saviour to pour forth His blessing upon the candles, and 
sanctify them with the light of His grace ; and merci- 
fully to grant that as these lights, enkindled with visible 

* Wilford's " Gilds," passim. 



233 Blessed Candles. 

fire, dispel the darkness of night, so our hearts, illumi- 
nated by invisible fire, that is, the Holy Ghost, may be 
free from the blindness of every vice ; that the eye of 
our minds being purified, we may discern those things, 
which are pleasing to God and profitable to salvation ; 
so that after the darkness and perils of this world we 
may be found worthy to be admitted to that light which 
never fails. In the fourth prayer the Almighty God, 
who commanded Moses to have the purest oil prepared 
for the lamps to burn before Him continually, is be- 
sought graciously to pour forth the grace of His blessing 
upon the candles, that as they afford external light, so 
through the divine mercy the interior light of the Holy 
Spirit may never be wanting to our minds. In the last 
prayer our divine Redeemer — who in the substance of 
our flesh was presented in the temple and recognized by 
the aged Simeon, enlightened by the Holy Spirit — is- 
mercifully besought that we, enlightened by the same 
Holy Spirit, may truly acknowledge and faithfully love 
the same divine Redeemer. 

It is not forbidden to sell candles that have been 
blessed, provided no more is asked for them than the 
ordinary selling price ; in other words, provided no 
charge is made for the blessing itself. 

The faithful in general have caught the spirit of the 
Church with regard to her blessed candles, and have 
come to look upon them as one of the most efficacious 
of the sacramentals. This is amply shown by their 
lighting them in times of danger — especially from the 
elements — and by their desire to have the dying expire 
while holding a blessed candle in the hand — the 
material light being thus made a symbol of the invisible 
light that is to guide them after death to the realms of 
everlasting happiness. 



Blessed Ashes, 239 



XX.— BLESSED ASHES. 

The use of ashes, especially the sprinkling of ashes on 
the head as a sign of humiliation and sorrow, dates back 
to the cradle of the human race. Numerous references 
are made to it in the Old Testament. David, the model 
of penitents, says: *'I did eat ashes like bread, and 
mingled my drink with weeping," The Ninivites, at 
the preaching of Jonas, *' proclaimed a fast, and put on 
sackcloth from the greatest to the least, and sat in 
ashes." Judith put ashes on her head when she prayed 
for strength to overcome Holofernes, the leader of the 
enemies of her people. And the prophet Jeremias cries 
out : * ' Howl, ye shepherds, and cry ; and sprinkle your- 
selves with ashes, ye leaders of the people." 

While the pagans retained some vestiges of primitive 
revelation and religious observance, — corrupted by the 
lapse of time, the debasing influence of unbridled pas- 
sions, and their distant separation from the Fountain of 
Truth, — humility and self-denial, practised from super- 
natural motives, find no place among their virtues. In 
their pride and self-indulgence they gradually fell away 
from the practice of virtue ; and the deification of the 
basest passions was the natural result. Even those 
whom we regard as having been the most upright among 
them looked upon taking part in the most abominable 
orgies as a religious duty. Not so the child of God, 
whose mind has been illumined by the light of revela- 
tion. He early learns that he must chastise his body 
and keep it in subjection; that if he neglects or refuses 
to do penance he is in danger of perishing ; and that in 



Cesseo 

all things he must remember his last end and his 
return to the dust from which he was taken, if he is to 
avoid sin and attain everlasting life. Conscious that he 
is by nature a child of wrath, he studies to appease an 
offended God by the practice of penance and mortifica- 
tion ; and remembering that he is formed from the 
. dust of the earth, and doomed to return to it again, he 
humbly sprinkles the noblest of his members, the head, 
with dust. In the light of revelation this is perfectly 

• natural to him. 

The ceremony of blessing and distributing the ashes, 
as we have it at present, like many of the other cere- 

' monies of the Church, comes down to us from the 
earliest ages. It is probable that it was introduced by 
the converts from Judaism, or at least in imitation of 
a somewhat similar practice in vogue among the chosen 

■ people. Like some of the other ceremonies, too, it has 
undergone certain minor changes before assuming its 
present form. The principal of these will be noticed as 
we proceed. 

Ash- Wednesday, the day upon which the faithful are 
signed with the ashes, was called by early writers caput 
jejunii, or, the beginning of the fast, although up to the 

• time of Pope St. Gregory the Great, at the close of the 
sixth century, the fast did not commence till the Mon- 
day following the first Sunday of Lent. With the Sun- 

^ days deducted, this left but thirty-six fast-days, which 
constitute about one- tenth part of the year — a circum- 
stance which led some of the Fathers to remark that it 
was giving a tithe of the year to God, after the example 
of the Jews, from whom He required a tenth part of 
their produce. But the forty days' fast of Moses and 
Elias, and more especially of our divine Kedeemer, 
showed the propriety of increasing the number of fast- 




Chasuble. 



See page 279. 



Blessed Ashes, 241 

days to forty ; and accordingly the four days before the 
first Sunday of Lent were added. This took place about 
the beginning of the eighth century, first, it would ap- 
pear, by a capitulary of the Church of Toulon, in 714. 
Amaury (about 820) describes the Lenten usages of his 
time as identical with ours. But this manner of cele- 
brating the fast did not become general for centuries ; 
and it was not until the time of St. Charles Borromeo, 
who flourished in the sixteenth century, that the Church 
of Milan introduced the custom of beginning Lent on 
Ash-Wednesday. 

At first no persons were signed with the ashes but the 
public penitents, who were required to appear, clad in 
the garb of penance, at the door of the church on Ash- 
Wednesday morning. Says Barry (pp. 67, 68) : " The 
course of penance for those who were to be reconciled 
on Holy Thursday began on Ash- Wednesday. The pen- 
itents, having confessed their sins, came to the church 
on that day with bare feet and in the habit of mourning, 
and humbly begged from the bishop canonical punish- 
ment. The pontiff then clothed them in sackcloth, scat- 
tered ashes on their heads, sprinkled them with holy 
water, and recited the Seven Penitential Psalms over 
them, whilst the attending clergy lay prostrate on the 
ground. The bishop and his ministers then imposed 
hands on them, to ratify, as it were, their solemn conse- 
cration to the course of penance. This ceremony was 
followed by a pathetic exhortation, in which the bishop 
announced to the weeping sinners before him that, as 
God had driven Adam from Paradise, so was he obliged 
to exclude them for a time from the spiritual paradise 
of the Church. With sorrowing hearts and counte- 
nances, the penitents marched in slow procession to the 
door of the church. The bishop thrust them out with 



242 Blessed Ashes. 

his pastoral staff, and they passed not again the thresh- 
old of the house of God until Holy Thursday. During 
this touching ceremony the clergy chanted the words 
which God addressed to fallen man when driving him 
from the earthly Paradise : * Kemember, man, that thou 
art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.' Do penance, 
that you may have eternal life.'' 

Soon others of the faithful joined the penitents in 
receiving the ashes, partly out of humility, and partly 
as a more effectual means of doing penance for their 
sins ; and the number of these continued to increase as 
time went on. Local Church authorities next devoted 
their attention to the matter. The Council of Beneven- 
tum, held in the year 1091, decreed that all, clergy and 
laity, men and women, should present themselves to be 
signed with the ashes. Other churches followed, and 
by the thirteenth century the custom became universal, 
and so it has continued. 

The ashes used for this ceremony are procured by the 
burning of the blessed palm of the previous Palm Sun- 
day ; a circumstance which reminds us that we cannot 
bear the palm of victory over Satan, sin, and death 
unless by the practice of humility and mortification dur- 
ing life, and by paying the debt of sin in giving our 
bodies to the dust at the close of our earthly existence. 

The form of blessing the ashes, like all the other cere- 
monies of our holy religion, is very beautiful and ex- 
pressive ; but it is difficult to tell at what time this form 
was adopted, or whether the ashes with which the public 
penitents were signed in the early ages were blessed or 
not. It is most probable, however, that they were, on 
the general principle that whatever the Church makes 
use of in her sacred ceremonies first receives a blessing. 
But wkether this blessing was less solemn at first than 



Blessed Ashes, 245 

later, when it became general, it would be difficult, if not 
impossible, to determine. We shall examine it as it is at 
present, remarking that, according to several .decrees of 
the Sacred Congregation of Eites, the ashes are to be 
blessed by the priest who is to celebrate the Mass that 
follows. ^ 

In the performing of the blessing the priest is vested 
in amice, alb, and violet stole and cope. Proceeding to 
the altar, on which the ashes are placed, at the Epistle 
side, in a suitable vessel, he reads an antiphon and four 
prayers. In the first of these Almighty God is besought 
to spare the penitent sinners who invoke Him, and to 
send His holy angel from heaven to bless and sanctify 
these ashes, that they may become a salutary remedy for 
all who invoke His holy name, and who, conscious of 
their transgressions, call upon His loving kindness ; and 
to grant to all upon whom they are sprinkled health of 
body and salvation of soul. The second prayer begs of 
God, who desires not the death of the sinner, and wha 
knows the frailty of man, to bless these ashes, which are 
to be used in token of humility and for the purpose of 
obtaining forgiveness ; that we, who know ourselves to 
be but dust and ashes, may obtain the divine mercy, the 
pardon of our sins, and the rewards promised to the 
penitent. The third prayer asks the mercy of God and 
the spirit of compunction for all those who are signed 
with the ashes, and that they may be firmly established 
in the friendship of God. In the last prayer God, who 
pardoned the Ninevites who did penance in sackcloth 
and ashes, is besought to grant us the grace to imitate 
their penance, that we may receive a like pardon. The 
ashes are then sprinkled with holy water and incensed, 
after which they are distributed to the faithful, as we 

1 De Herdt, vol. iii. p. 25. 



244 Blessed Ashes. 

are accustomed to witness ; the priest reciting, as he 
signs each one, ''Remember, man, that thou art dust, 
and unto dust thou shalt return." 

During the distribution of the ashes certain antiphons 
from the Scripture and other sources, which are cal- 
culated to awaken a spirit of penance, are sung — at least 
in such churches as have a choir capable of singing 
them ; and it is greatly to be regretted that, owing to 
circumstances, many churches have not such trained 
singers. This part of the ceremony over, the priest re- 
turns to the altar and recites the following concluding 
prayer : " Grant us, O Lord, to begin our Christian war- 
fare with holy fasts ; that as we are about to fight against 
the spirits of wickedness, we may be defended by the aid 
of self-denial. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen." The 
celebration of the Mass then follows. 

At one time it was customary, at least in many places, 
to dampen the ashes before using them ; but the Holy 
See has forbidden this, and they are to be applied in a 
perfectly dry state. It is also a common custom of our 
time for people to ask the priest to give them some ashes 
to take home to the sick, or to others who have not been 
able to be present at the distribution. This is also for- 
bidden by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites ; 
and what remains is to be put into the sacrarium^ or 
place where things that are blessed and can no longer be 
used are thrown, as the water used in baptism, that used 
at Mass, etc. 



Blessed Palms, 245 



XXI.— BLESSED PALMS. 

It would be superfluous to begin by stating that the 
blessing and carrying of palms in procession derives its 
origin from the action of the people of Jerusalem in go- 
ing out to meet Our Saviour on the Sunday before He 
died, and conducting Him in triumph into the city, 
spreading their garments and strewing branches of trees 
on the way for the humble animal on which He rode to 
tread upon. But this very action prompts the reflection 
that this must have been a customary way of showing 
respect to a person of distinction, else why did the 
people resort to it on this occasion ? Turning to the 
Sacred Scriptures, we find the bearing of palm branches 
to have been one of the principal ways of manifesting 
joy ; and one not only approved but commanded by 
Ood at the time of the foundation of the Jewish relig- 
ion. When the people assembled in the fall of the year, 
after the gathering in of the harvest, to celebrate the 
feast of Tabernacles, God said to them, as we read in 
Leviticus (xxiii. 40): '' You shall take to you on the first 
day the fruits of the fairest tree, and branches of palm 
trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the 
brook ; and you shall rejoice before the Lord, your 
Ood." This custom was observed among the Jews as 
long as they existed as a nation. In the Second Book 
of Machabees (x. 7) it is related that, after the temple 
was purified from the defilements to which it had been 
subjected by the enemies of God's people, the Jews re- 
joiced as they had formerly been accustomed to do on 
the feast of Tabernacles; and *' therefore they now 



246 Blessed Palms, 

carried boughs and green branches and palms for Him 
that had given them good success in cleansing His 
place." The martyrs, too, those who have secured the 
only real triumph, are represented among the blessed 
carrying palms in their hands (Apoc. vii. 9). 

Nor was the bearing of palms confined to religious 
triumph. The palm is the recognized symbol of victory 
throughout the world, as the olive branch is of peace, 
Philo relates that Agrippa carried palms and flowers on 
his entry into Jerusalem; and Josephus tells the same of 
Alexander the Great. 

The palm is admirably adapted to symbolize. It is 
one of the most useful of Oriental trees. Its foliage 
forms a delightful shade in those hot countries ; it sup- 
plies dates, a delicious and useful fruit, and a species of 
wine exudes from its bark. It is thus emblematic of 
the overshadowing protection of Divine Providence, the 
strength of supernatural grace, and the nourishment 
which Our Saviour gives us in the Holy Eucharist. 

Great variety of opinion exists with regard to the date 
of the introduction of the blessing of palms into the 
ceremonial of the Church, and it is impossible to fix it 
with precision. The custom is admitted, howeve^r, to be 
of ancient origin. Among the works of St. John Chrys- 
ostom there is a sermon on Palm Sunday ; but it is held 
by some writers that this is not genuine, and has been 
interpolated. Martene, a reliable authority on sucli 
matters, asserts that no vestige of the ceremony of 
blessing palms can be found before the eighth or nintk 
century ; and a Koman Ordo of the eighth century^ 
edited by Frotone, would appear to confirm this opin- 
ion ; for, treating of the ceremony of Palm Sunday, it 
makes no mention of the blessing of palms. But this is 
only negative testimony, while there is much that is 



Blessed Palms. 247 

positive on the other side. Meratus, a consultor of the 
Sacred Congregation of Rites, produces a number of 
solid arguments which go to prove the antiquity of this 
rite. Among these is a calendar of the close of the 
fourth or the beginning of the fifth century, edited by 
Martene himself, in which occur the words ** Palm Sun- 
day at St. John Lateran" — ^''Dominica ad Palmas ad 
B. Joannem in Lateranisy Reference is also made to 
Palm Sunday in the ** Sacramentary " of Pope St. 
Gelasius, who ruled the Church at the close of the fifth 
century, where occur these words : * ^ Palm Sunday of 
the Passion of Our Lord" — '^Dominica in Palmis de 
Passione Domini,'''' Also in the " Sacramentary '' of St. 
Gregory the Great, who occupied the chair of Peter 
at the close of the sixth century, mention is made of the 
faithful who were present at Mass with leaves and palm 
branches in their hands. Other authorities of the same 
early date are not wanting, but these are deemed suf- 
ficient. Venerable Bede (born 672) is the first writer of 
the West who speaks of palms ; but he is immediately 
followed by St. Aldhelm, Bishop of West Saxony (d. 
709), who also makes mention of them. 

The custom of blessing and carrying palms in proces- 
sion appears to have had its origin in the East. And 
this is but natural ; for in the Old Law it was in the 
East, as we have seen, that God commanded them to be 
carried ; it was in the same region that they were borne 
before Our Lord ; and it was to be expected that those 
with whom these traditions were local should be the 
first to imitate them. Most probably the idea of the 
procession preceded that of the blessing ; and the latter 
was introduced on the general principle that whatever 
is used by the people of God in His service should first 
be sanctified by the blessing of the Church. The im- 



248 Blessed Palms, 

portance of the event which the procession commem- 
orated would naturally lead to a solemn form for the 
blessing of the palms to be carried in it. 

It may be remarked in passing that Palm Sunday cor- 
responds to the tenth day of the moon, on which the 
Jews were commanded to select and set apart the lamb 
without blemish, that was to be eaten on the feast of 
the Passover. It was also customary in the early ages 
of the Church to baptize the catechumens either on Holy 
Saturday or on the eve of Pentecost ; and those who 
were to receive that sacrament on the former occasion 
were examined some days before, and on Palm Sunday 
were declared competent to receive the sacrament of re- 
generation. Hence it is sometimes called the ' ' Sunday 
of the Competent." 

According to the rubrics of the Missal, the palms 
presented to be blessed must be the branches of the 
palm or olive, or other trees. And, although it is not 
expressly stated, it seems proper that the " other trees " 
taken in place of the palm or olive, where it cannot be 
had, should be some sort of evergreens ; at least this is 
the interpretation put upon the words by the universal 
practice of the faithful. The spruce, or hemlock, being 
the most common species of evergreen tree found in 
many parts of this country, is frequently used ; but it is 
hardly to be recommended, as its leaves soon drop off, 
and leave nothing but the bare twigs. 

A decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, of June 
9, 1668, requires the blessing of the palms to be per- 
formed by the priest who is to celebrate the Mass that 
follows the procession. 

Commenting on the prayers recited in the blessing of 
palms, Cardinal Wiseman remarks: ''Of the prayers 
employed in this benediction I shall say nothing but 



Blessed Pahns, 249 

what may be said of all that occur in the Church offices 
— that they possess an elevation of sentiment, a beauty 
of allusion, a force of expression, and a depth of feeling 
which no modern form of supplication ever exhibits." 
It is believed that no one who attentively studies these 
prayers will regard the words of the learned Cardinal as 
an exaggeration. 

In the act of blessing the palms the celebrant — vested 
in violet cope, and standing at the Epistle corner of 
the altar — after the recitation of a short prayer, con- 
tinues with the reading of a lesson from the Book of 
Exodus, in which mention is made of the children of 
Israel coming to Elim, near Mount Sinai, on their jour- 
ney to the Promised Land, where there were a fountain 
and seventy palm trees. Here they began that long 
series of murmurings against Moses, for leading them 
out, as they said, to starve in the desert, far from the 
tleshpots of Egypt ; and here it was that God in His 
mercy promised to rain down the manna for their sub- 
sistence. After a few verses from the New Testament, 
that portion of St. Matthew's Gospel is read which nar- 
rates the coming of Christ into Jerusalem the Sunday 
before His death, on which occasion the people were 
aroused to a degree of enthusiasm regarding Him which 
they had never before manifested. Cutting down 
boughs from the trees and strewing them, together with 
their garments, on the way, they made the air resound 
with their joyous hosannas. Next in the blessing fol- 
lows a prayer begging of God that we may in the end go 
forth to meet Christ, bearing the palm of victory and 
laden with good works, and so may enter with Him into 
eternal happiness. Then follow a beautiful preface and 
five prayers, all invoking a blessing on the palms, and 
beseeching God that they may be sanctified, and may 



250 Blessed Palms, 

become a means of grace and divine protection, both for 
soul and body, to those who carry them to their homes 
and keep them there in a spirit of faith and devotion. 
Reference is also made to the olive branch that was 
brought by the dove to ]^oe, after the waters of the 
deluge had subsided, as a symbol of the peace estab- 
lished between heaven and earth, and to the palm as 
the emblem of victory. Another prayer follows, and the 
palms are ready for distribution among the people. 

According to the directions of the ceremonial, the 
palms should be distributed at the communion rail, 
those receiving them kissing first the palm and then the 
hand of the celebrant ; but this ceremony is not carried 
out in most of our churches. The palms are more com- 
monly carried through the aisles by the altar-boys or 
others, and given to the people in their pews. There is 
some excuse for this departure from the ceremonial, but 
what its precise value is I shall not attempt to say. The 
Church in many places in this country is yet in process 
of organization, and in most others it is but just organ- 
ized ; and this, like many other ceremonies, it was im- 
possible to carry out in the beginning. A departure 
from the rubrics took place from sheer necessity ; and it 
has since, it may be said, been generally tolerated. After 
the distribution of the palms, certain verses of Scripture 
are read, which, with another prayer, closes the bless- 
ing, and preparations are made for the procession. 

The procession is frequently dispensed with for the 
same reason as the strict rubrical form of distributing 
the palms, and can hardly be said to take place except 
in the larger churches and cathedrals. Speaking of the 
hymn "Gloria, laus et honor," etc., which is sung dur- 
ing the procession. Cardinal Wiseman remarks : *'It is 
said to have been composed by Abbot Theodulf , when in 



Blessed Palms. 251 

prison at Anglers for a conspiracy against Louis the 
Pious, and sung by him in a moving strain as the Em- 
peror in procession, on that Sunday, passed under the 
prison wall. The words and music touched the offended 
monarch's heart, and procured the prisoner's liberation. 
This is said to have taken place in the year 818 ; and 
even if the legend be inaccurate, as some have thought, 
it proves the character and power which the public voice 
attributed to the composition." 

The palms are to be held in the hand during the sing- 
ing or reading of the Passion and the Gospel. 

Reference might here be made to certain local customs 
connected with the blessing and procession of the palms, 
and more especially to those which belong to the Eastern 
Church. The writer just mentioned informs us that " in 
the East they have from the earliest ages practised the 
ceremony of carrying palm and olive branches to the 
church on Lazarus Saturday, as the eve of Palm Sunday 
used to be called, and have them blessed the next day. 
At Constantinople it was customary for the Emperor to 
distribute the palms with great solemnity to all his 
courtiers." 

The Maronites were accustomed to bless an olive tree 
and give it to the person who contributed the largest 
alms. This favored one passed it to his son or to some 
other youth, whom he, with the assistance of his friends, 
carried in procession amid the acclamations of the people. 
At the conclusion of the procession the tree was distrib- 
uted among the people, or, perhaps more correctly, they 
distributed it among themselves, each striving to secure 
a branch or twig of it, and deeming himself fortunate if 
he succeeded. Other local customs existed in different 
places, and perhaps still exist, to which we need not 
refer. 



252 Blessed Palms, 

A concluding remark is, however, to be made. The 
palm is the symbol of victory ; but our divine Redeemer,, 
who gained the greatest of all victories, did so by 
humbling Himself to death, even the death of the cross, 
to teach us that all true victories are those won by tri~ 
umphing over ourselves, with our unruly passions and 
evil inclinations. The palm is made to teach us this 
salutary lesson among others ; for whatever remains 
after the distribution is laid aside to be burned for the 
ashes used on the next Ash-Wednesday. These ashes, 
after having been blessed with solemn prayers, as we 
have seen, are used to mark the sign of the cross on our 
foreheads, the seat of that pride infused into our nature 
by the arch-enemy of mankind at the time of the fall of 
our first parents. This solemn ceremony is accompanied 
with the words : ' ' Remember, man, that thou art dust, 
and unto dust thou shalt return." It is only by return- 
ing to dust, the doom of all the children of Adam, that 
we can hope to rise to a new life like our divine Model, 
to die no more, but to bear to His eternal home and ours 
the palm of our final victory. 

The authorities consulted in the preparation of this 
essay were, among others, Benedict XIY., "De Festis f 
Cardinal Wiseman, *'The Ceremonies of Holy Week; '^ 
^'Kirchen-Lexicon ;" Barry, *^The Sacramentals ; " De 
Herdt, etc. 



The Nuptial Mass and Blessing, 253 



XXIL— THE NUPTIAL MASS AND BLESSING. 

The end which I propose to myself in the present 
essay is an explanation of the marriage ceremony and 
the Nuptial Mass, that the reader may better under- 
stand them ; may learn more clearly their beauty and 
appropriateness ; appreciate more highly the graces- 
which they convey to the souls of those who worthily 
participate in them, and by that means conceive a 
greater love and reverence for them. The mystic cere- 
monies of religion are not so attractive to the minds of 
many Christians in this material age as they should be^ 
and are not sufficiently studied ; and hence it is not to 
be wondered at that many persons make little account 
of neglecting or dispensing with these sacred rites and 
fountains of grace which holy Church has prepared for 
those who are about to enter the married state. Yet, 
considered merely from a natural point of view, and 
altogether apart from the importance which faith teaches- 
man to attach to it, the question of marriage is one de- 
manding the most serious reflection. The very intimate 
and life-long association of one person with another, 
which the bond of marriage supposes and obliges to ; 
the attendant temptations and dangers ; the training of 
a family, with all the privations, trials, and sufferings 
inseparable from it, under the most favorable circum- 
stances ; and the countless accidents which checker the 
life of everyone, are points which common prudence for- 
bids us to pass over lightly. But when in addition to- 
these are included the obligations which religion im- 
poses on the couple in relation to each other and to the 



254 The Nuptial Mass and Blessing, 

children with which Almighty God may and most prob- 
ably will bless them, mattei: is presented for still more 
serious consideration. It is true, indeed, that the sacra- 
ment of matrimony is an abundant and never-failing 
source of grace ; but it is so to those only who receive it 
worthily, and live according to the laws which it im- 
poses. How few there are who perfectly observe those 
sacred laws ! 

He who seriously reflects on these points will not be 
surprised that God in His infinite wisdom should have 
made matrimony the subject of special legislation in the 
world's infancy, in the very groves of Paradise; nor 
that the Church should from the earliest times have 
devoted her special attention to seeing that her children 
entered into that union with the proper dispositions and 
according to the ceremonies w^hich she, guided by the 
Holy Spirit, had prescribed. Few matters have received 
so large a share of her attention. Kead ecclesiastical 
history, the writings of the saints, fathers, and theolo- 
gians, the decrees of councils and the utterances of 
-Sovereign Pontiffs — all manifest her zeal for the purity 
and sanctity of marriage, and at the same time show 
the w^aywardness of the human will when excited and 
blinded by the basest and most unruly passion of the 
heart of man. But so far from victory having declared 
for the Church, the struggle is waging more furiously in' 
the present than it did perhaps at any previous period. 
Scarcely had the illustrious Leo XIII. ascended the 
throne of Peter than he found it necessary to raise his 
voice in solemn admonition to Christians to conform 
themselves to the wise regulations which the Church has 
-established. • And if attention is directed to the instruc- 
tions which the Holy See sends to the bishops of mis- 
sionary countries like ours, it will be seen that by far 



The Nuptial Mass and Blessing. 255 

the greater number have to do with the sacrament of 
matrimony. Happy is it for society that there is still 
one authority respected on earth, although it be only by 
the few. What is marriage outside the pale of the 
Church? A contract, or the semblance of a contract^ 
subject to the caprice of the basest passion that tyran- 
nizes over the heart of fallen man — this and nothing 
more. It may truly be said that there is no longer any 
respect for the bond of marriage except in the Church. 
It goes for the saying that a divorce can anywhere be 
had for the most flimsy pretext, and the laws are so 
framed in some States as to put a premium on crime^ 
Nor need it be wondered at that some Catholics, breath- 
ing this pestilential atmosphere, should long for free- 
dom from a restraint so galling to rebellious nature. 

But the circumstances of the Church, not only in her- 
self but also in her surroundings, must be taken into 
consideration when we attempt to account for the dis- 
taste which many persons have for the Nuptial Mass and 
the blessing which accompanies it. The Church among 
us is still in many respects in its infancy ; until recently 
it was impossible to surround the reception of the sacra- 
ments with that external pomp which delights the Chris- 
tian heart ; and in not a few places this is true even at 
the present day. Hence it is that many persons have 
grown up ignorant or but indifferently instructed in re- 
gard to some of the most touching and beautiful cere- 
monies of religion. But without further preface let us 
approach the subject that is to engage our attention , 
and for which I beg the young reader's careful con- 
sideration. 

When a person enters the religious life he or she has 
half a year's time as a postulant, and two years as a 
novice, all of which are spent in the learning and prac- 



256 The Nuptial Mass and Blessing, 

tising of the rules and usages that are afterward to 
become obligatory ; but when one is married, as St. 
Prancis of Sales remarks, there is no novitiate. Two 
persons unite themselves together for life, and, of 
course, they expect to live long lives, say at least fifty 
years, together ; and this in the most intimate relation- 
ship known on earth, and one that can never be dis- 
solved, for '* what God hath joined together let no man 
put asunder." ^ And how little do the two often know 
of each other before marriage ? Their main object then 
is to show off all their good qualities to the best advan- 
tage and conceal their weak points. When they are 
united, however, the realities of life begin to present 
themselves ; but it is then too late to retrace their steps. 
Hence the necessity of the most mature deliberation, 
and of calling down all the blessings of Heaven. 

Let it be supposed that after a sufficient acquaintance 
a young man and woman have mutually agreed to 
marry ; that their parents have been informed, and 
proper regard paid to their authority ; and that the 
pastor of the church has been notified in due time, the 
banns proclaimed, and no impediments discovered, and 
the hour for the solemn ceremony approaches. Being 
Christians, they are resolved to comply not only with 
the essential laws, but also with the wishes of holy 
Church, and enter into their union with the Nuptial 
Mass and Blessing. 

Before proceeding to speak of the Nuptial Mass and 
the benediction which accompanies and forms a part of 
it, the reader must be reminded that the latter is entirely 
distinct from the ceremony of marriage and the sacra- 
ment of matrimony, each of which is perfect without it. 

The Nuptial Mass takes its name from the object for 

1 St. Matthew, xix. 6. 



The JS'uptial Mass and Blessing, 257 

-which it is celebrated, and consists, as has just been 
said, of the Mass with the special blessing for the mar- 
ried couple. Certain questions here present themselves 
for solution before we can proceed to consider the Mass 
in itself. And first, For whom can the Nuptial Mass be 
^celebrated, and to whom can the Nuptial Blessing be 
imparted ? In answer we must first say that it cannot 
be celebrated in the case of a mixed marriage ; for such 
a marriage cannot even take place in the church. '^ The 
Nuptial Benediction is not to be given when either of 
the parties received it in a previous marriage ; but 
where it is usual to give it in all cases in which the 
female was not previously married, the custom, accord- 
ing to the rubric, may still be retained. The benedic- 
tion, from its form, seems directed chiefly to the female, 
;and hence probably the custom, as well as the sanction 
given to it. . . . It is to be observed that the benedic- 
tion is not to be withheld at the second marriage unless 
it was given at the first, and therefore may be given to 
a widow who did not receive it at her previous marriage, 
whatever may have been the cause of the omission." ^ 
IVe are to conclude from this that, although the husband 
may receive the blessing more than once, where custom 
permits it, the wife cannot receive it the second time. 
The reason of this appears to be that the Church expects 
it always to be received at the first marriage, and this 
marriage represents more perfectly than any subsequent 
one the union of Christ with His spouse, the Church. 

It may be further asked. Where is the Nuptial Bless- 
ing to be received? O'Kane replies (No. 1092) : ''The 
"Nuptial Benediction can be given only in the church, 
according to a decree of the Sacred Congregation ; but 

1 O'Kane, Supplement to the " Notes on the Rubrics," Nos. 1089, 
a090. 



258 The Nuptial Mass and Blessing, 

this is because, according to another decree, it can be 
given only at Mass. Such, at least, is the opinion of 
Cavalieri, who further maintains that if there be an 
oratory annexed to the house where the marriage takes, 
place the Nuptial Benediction may be given at the Mass 
celebrated there. Suppose, then, that a marriage is for 
some sufficient reason celebrated in a private house, and 
that there is at the same time permission to say Mass. 
there, it would appear to us that the Nuptial Benediction 
may, and should, be given." Permission to receive the 
Nuptial Blessing in a private house, it is clear from the 
above, is ruled by the permission to say Mass there. 
Where the latter is permitted the former is also al- 
lowed. 

"When can the Nuptial Blessing be received? This 
question admits of a threefold reply : as regards the 
occasion, the season of the year, and the dignity of cer- 
tain solemn feasts. As regards the occasion, whatever 
customs or privileges may have obtained in other times 
or countries, a decree of the Sacred Congregation of 
Bites, dated June 23, 1853, and another of August 14, 
1858, forbid the Nuptial Blessing to be given except in 
the Mass. There is a benediction, distinct from that 
found in the Nuptial Mass, given in the ritual of certain 
European countries, which may be imparted at any other 
time.^ But with this we are not concerned, there being 
no such blessing given in the ritual prescribed for the 
use of the clergy in this country. In the second place, 
as regards the season of the year during which the Nup- 
tial Blessing may be given, it can be imparted at any 
time except during what is called **the closed time," 
which extends from the first Sunday of Advent to 
Epiphany, and from Ash- Wednesday to Low Sunday,, 

1 De Eerdt, vol. iii. N. 278. 



The Nuptial Mass and Blessing. 259 

inclusire.^ I use the expression ''Nuptial Blessing'' 
instead of "Nuptial Mass," for, though the blessing can 
be given only at Mass, it may be imparted, as we shall see, 
at another than the Nuptial Mass, on feasts when that 
Mass is not permitted to be celebrated. Marriage being 
an occasion of joy, it is the wish of the Church that her 
children should not, without grave reasons, contract it 
during penitential seasons ; and, although its solemniza- 
tion is also forbidden on the great festivals that imme- 
diately follow these times of penance, it would appear to 
be because the Church would wish that the Christian 
heart should be so occupied with the thought of God as 
to forget even the l-awf ul pleasures which this miserable 
world affords. The sacrament of matrimony can indeed 
be received at any ti^ne of the day or year ; but it can- 
not be solemnized, that is, received with the Nuptial 
Mass and Blessing, during the '' closed time," nor is it in 
the power of the bishop to dispense from that law.^ 
The Council of Trent and the Koman Ritual earnestly 
exhort those who, for any reason, have been married 
without the Nuptial Blessing not to live together until 
they shall have received it, the intention of the Church 
being that they should not consummate their marriage 
without this salutary blessing ; and, according to a de- 
cree of August 14, 1858, they could not receive it if they 
had lived together in the same house even for one day. 
But a decree of the Congregation of the Holy Office, 
dated August 31, 1881, has made a radical change on 
this point, declaring that it is to be granted ''to such 
as did not receive it at the time of marriage, from what- 
ever cause this may have arisen — even if they petitioned 

1 Council of Trent, sess. xxiv., chapter x., De Reforraatione 
Matrimonii. 

2 Decree S. C. R., February 6, 1858. 



260 The jSupttal Mass and Blessing, 

for it after living a long time in the married state, pro- 
Tided that the woman, if a widow, had not received it 
at a previous marriage. Moreover, Catholics who did 
not receive this blessing on their marriage should be^ 
exhorted to ask for it as soon as possible." Although 
the reception of this blessing is only a matter of counsel, 
not binding, most probably, under pain of sin, as 
O'Kane remarks, still it shows the mind of the Church, 
and the importance she attaches to the Nuptial Blessing ; 
and it is, at the same time, a rebuke to those — and they 
are not a few — who make light of this source of divine 
grace. 

With regard to the third question, it may be said that^ 
apart from the ^' closed time," the IRuptial Mass may be 
celebrated on any day, with a few exceptions, and on 
these exceptional days the Nuptial Blessing with the 
commemoration of the Nuptial Mass may be inserted, 
with the sole exception of the vigil and feast of Pente- 
cost, with the two following days ; and the same would 
appear to apply to the feast of the Ascension and Cor- 
pus Christi.^ And although on the commemoration of 
All Souls the celebration of a Mass for the living is not 
permitted, yet the Nuptial Mass may be celebrated, 
according to a decree of the Sacred Congregation of 
Eites, dated September 7, 1850 ; and, though this decree 
is not promulgated, it is yet authentic.'"^ 

The many privileges which the Church grants to the 
Nuptial Mass are an evidence of the earnest desire she 
has that her children should avail themselves of it. No^ 
one doubts her devotion to the souls in purgatory ; but 
she grants, as we see, far greater privileges to the Nuptial 
Mass than she does to that for the dead, even in cases> j 

1 De Herdt, vol. iii. N. 285. ^ 

2 S. Alphonsi, " CereDioniae Missae," Schober, p. 238. -l 




Church Vestments. 
1. Cape. 2. Dalmatic. 3 Stole. 



See page 279. 



The Nuptial Mass and Blessing, 261 

where the body is present. The antiquity of the Nuptial 
Mass is no less an evidence of the importance the Church, 
attaches to it, being anxious, as she is, that those from, 
whom her ranks are to be recruited should be enriched 
with special blessings for the discharge of their onerous- 
duties. Pope St. Evaristus, who ruled the Church at the 
beginning of the second century, ordained, in accordance 
with apostolic tradition, that marriage should be cele- 
brated publicly, and with the blessing of the priest ; ^ 
and, although this is not conclusive evidence that the 
blessing meant was that found in the Nuptial Mass, it is 
probable that it was one similar to it, both on account 
of the importance the Church has always attached to the 
sacrament of matrimony, and also because Tertullian, 
who flourished but a century later, speaks of marriage 
with the Mass as a custom common among Christians. 

Inasmuch as we are not here treating of the sacrament 
of matrimony, but only of the Nuptial Blessing, as one 
of the sacramentals, much is omitted that would other- 
wise be both interesting and instructive. 

The marriage should take place immediately before 
the Mass. This Mass, it is to be noted, the priest is not 
bound to offer for the intention of the contracting parties, 
unless he has been requested to do so. Formerly the 
rituals of different countries were not uniform with re- 
gard to the vestments in which the priest should appear 
for the performance of the ceremony ; but according to 
a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, dated 
August 31, 1867, the priest is to be vested as for Mass, 
except that he does not put on the maniple, which is to^ 
be placed on the altar till the ceremony is over. 

We have now to examine the Nuptial Mass, with the 
blessing that forms a part of it, omitting, however, those^ 

1 Roman Breviary, October 26th. 



.262 The Nuptial Mass and Blessing. 

portions that are common to every Mass. The Introit 
is taken from the 7th and 8th chapters of the Book of 
Tobias, and from the 127th Psalm ; and reads thus : 
^' May the God of Israel join you together : and may He 
Ibe with you who was merciful to two only children : 
and now, O Lord, make them bless Thee more fully. 
F. Blessed are all they that fear the Lord : that walk in 
His ways. Glory be to the Father, etc. May the God 
of Israel," etc., repeated. The following is the Collect 
or prayer : '' Graciously hear us, almighty and merciful 
■God, that what is performed by our ministry may be 
abundantly filled with Thy blessing. Through," etc. 

The Epistle is taken from that of St. Paul to the 
Ephesians (v. 22-33) ; and however much its ideas may 
differ from those of the present day, they give the only 
correct basis upon which human society can be firmly 
established in any age. '* Let women be subject to their 
liusbands, as to the Lord : because the husband is the 
head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the Church. 
He is the saviour of his body. Therefore, as the Church 
is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their 
liusbands in all things. Husbands, love your wives, as 
<Jhrist also loved the Church, and delivered Himself up 
for it : that He might sanctify it, cleansing it by the 
laver of water in the word of life, that He might present 
it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or 
wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy 
and without blemish. So also ought men to love their 
wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife 
loveth himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh, 
l)ut nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the 
Church : because we are members of His body, of His 
Hesh, and of His bones. For this cause shall a man 
leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his 



The Nuptial Mass and Blessing. 26^ 

wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. This is a great 
sacrament : but I speak in Christ and in the Church. 
Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular love his 
wife as himself : and let the wife fear the husband." 

The Gradual^ recited during the greater part of the 
year, is composed of the following verses of Scripture : 
' ' Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine on the walls of thy 
house. Thy children as olive branches round about thy 
table. Alleluia, alleluia. May the Lord send you help from 
the sanctuary, and defend you out of Sion. Alleluia.'^ 

The Gospel is taken from that of St. Matthew 
(xix. 3-6): ''And there came to Jesus the Pharisees 
tempting Him, and sajing : Is it lawful for a man to 
put away his wife for every cause ? Who answering^ 
said to them : Have ye not read that He who made man 
from the beginning made them male and female ? And 
He said : For this cause shall a man leave father and 
mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall 
be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one 
flesh. What therefore God hath joined together let no 
man put asunder. " The Offertory is also from the Sacred 
Scriptures : ''In Thee, O Lord, have I put my trust : I 
said. Thou art my God : my lot is in Thy hands." The 
Secret prayer is couched in these terms : " Eeceive, we 
beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift which we here offer up in 
behalf of Thy holy law of marriage : And as Thou art 
the Giver of the work, be Thou also the Disposer thereof. 
Through Our Lord," etc. 

Immediately after the Pater N'oster, the first part of 
the Nuptial Blessing is recited over the married couple, 
who come forward and kneel at the foot of the altar. 
The priest, turning round to them, prays : " Be propitious, 
O Lord, unto our supplications, and graciously assist 
Thine own institution, which Thou hast ordained for the 



264 The Nuptial Mass and Blessing, 

propagation of mankind : thai ihe union made by Thy 
appointment may be preseived by Thy aid. Through 
Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, etc. 

'' O God, who by the might of Thy power didst create 
all things out of nothing ; who when the beginnings of 
the universe were set in order, and man was made to the 
image of God, didst ordain the inseparable assistance of 
woman, in such wise that Thou gavest beginning to her 
body out of the flesh of man, teaching thereby that what, 
it had pleased Thee should be formed of one it should 
never be lawful to put asunder ; O God, who didst cre- 
ate the bond of matrimony by such an excellent mystery, 
that in the covenant of marriage Thou wouldst signify 
the sacrament of Christ and His Church ; O God, by 
whom woman is joined to man, and society, as ordained 
from the beginning, is furnished with a blessing, which 
alone was not removed, either in punishment of original 
sin or by the sentence of the deluge ; look mercifully on 
this Thy handmaid, who, being now to be joined in wed- 
lock, earnestly desires to be fortified with Thy protec- 
tion. May it be to her a yoke of love and peace ; may 
she marry in Christ, faithful and chaste, and be an imi- 
tator of holy women. May she be amiable to her hus- 
band, like Kachel ; wise, like Rebecca ; long-lived and 
faithful, like Sara. May the author of sin have no share 
in any of her actions. May she remain constant to the 
faith and commandments : united to one spouse, may 
she fly all unlawful approaches ; may she protect her 
weakness by the strength of discipline; may she be grave 
in bashfulness, venerable in modesty, learned in heav- 
enly doctrine. May she be fruitful in offspring, ap- 
proved and innocent ; and may she arrive at the repose 
of the blessed in the heavenly kingdom ; and may they 
l^oth see their children's children, even to the third and 
iourth generation, and arrive at their desired old age. 



The Miptial Mass and Blessing. 265 

Througli the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son," etc. At the 
conclusion of these prayers the Mass continues as usual.^ 
The Communion prayer is: *' Behold, thus shall every 
man be blessed that feareth the Lord : and mayest thou 
see thy children's children : peace upon Israel." The 
Post'Commimion is: "We beseech Thee, O Almighty 
God, to accompany with Thy gracious favor what Thy 
providence hath ordained, and preserve in continual 
peace those whom Thou hast joined in lawful union. 
Through Our Lord," etc. Immediately before the or- 
dinary blessing given in Mass is the concluding one of 
the Nuptial Benediction. Like all the special prayers of 
this Mass, it includes three petitions : fecundity, peace^ 
and everlasting happiness. It is addressed to Heaven in 
these words : '^May the God of Abraham, the God of 
Isaac, and the God of Jacob be with you, and may He 
fulfil His blessing upon you, that you may see your chil- 
dren's children unto the third and fourth generation, 
and may afterward have everlasting life, without end, 
by the help of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who, with the 
Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth God, 
world without end. Amen." 

Such is the Nuptial Mass and Blessing, ordained in 
her maternal solicitude by holy Church for her children 
who are about to enter into married life — a life enriched, 
indeed, with many graces for those who enter it with the 
proper dispositions, but strewn for all with more than 
ordinary trials and temptations. Happy are they whose 
early training and spirit of piety prompt them, on real- 
izing the existence of these trials and temptations, to 
fortify themselves with the graces of the Nuptial Mass 
and Blessing, and to call down upon the new path they 
have entered the plentiful dews of heavenly benediction ! 

^ The couple are earnestly exhorted to communicate, by a decree, 
S. C.R., March 21, 1874. 



266 The Churching of Women. 



XXIII.— THE CHUKCHING OF WOMEN. 

When our first parents were so unfortunate as to 
transgress the divine command by eating the forbidden 
fruit, Almighty God called them to Him, and in punish- 
ment of their disobedience the woman, who was the first 
to transgress, was told : *'I will multiply thy sorrows 
and thy conceptions : in sorrow thou shalt bring forth 
children." And though it was promised at the same 
time that the seed of the woman should crush the head 
of the serpent which had seduced her, this was to take 
place only after the lapse of centuries, during which the 
woman was to hold an inferior position, and her noblest 
function of motherhood be regarded as necessarily asso- 
ciated with defilement. The memory of this, which was 
traditional among all the peoples of the world, assumed 
in the true religion of the Jewish Dispensation the sanc- 
tion of a liturgical law. It was left for Mary, the high- 
est type of true womanhood, to change this decree, and 
to elevate woman to the sublimest heights to which it is 
possible for her to aspire. What can ennoble her more 
than to have the greatest creature that ever came or ever 
can come from the hand of Omnipotence given her as a 
model ? If sin came by woman, redemption from sin 
came also by woman, as the Church sings of Mary : 
''Through whom we have received the Author of life, 
Christ Our Lord." 

As our divine Redeemer by eating the Paschal Lamb 
on the eve of His sacred Passion gave that Mosaic rite 
an honorable termination, as certain of the Fathers 
have remarked, so did Mary, by conforming to the law 
of purification, give to it an honorable ending. 



The Churching of Women. 267 

The rite of Churching differs essentially from the^ 
ceremony of legal purification among the Jews, as we 
shall see in the sequel. The Jewish rite was founded 
on the idea of legal defilement ; Mary removed this, and. 
by becoming the mother of our divine Kedeemer made- 
maternity truly honorable. The Jewish rite was neces- 
sary to fit the mother for assisting at religious cere- 
monies ; the Christian rite is an act of thanksgiving. 
The Jewish rite was of obligation, commanded by the' 
voice of God Himself ; the Christian ceremony does not 
bind even under pain of venial sin. Hence through- 
Mary the whole current not only of public opinion but 
also of religious observance on this point is changed, 
and results in the true elevation and ennobling of 
woman. Happy would it be for woman if the refined- 
paganism of our day did not seek to degrade her once 
more, while eloquently prating about her rights. But 
by no other means than by the example of Mary can she: 
be truly elevated, and the sooner the world learns thi&- 
the better. 

A spirit of humility, so natural to the true Christian, 
heart, as well as a desire of imitating the Blessed Virgin, 
equally natural to Christian mothers, induced the early 
Christian women to abstain from entering the church, 
for a certain time after they had received the blessing 
of motherhood, although no legal defilement attached Xo 
them under the New Dispensation. They then asked 
the blessing of the priest at the door of the church, 
before entering, and made their first visit as an act of 
thanksgiving for their safe delivery. ^ Hence the origin, 
of churching, which was a natural outgrowth of the- 
Mosaic rite. The date of the origin of this pious custom 
is not certain ; but that it is very ancient there can be 

* O'Kane, pp. 244 et seq. ; *' Kirchen-Lexicon." _ 



:268 The Churching of Women, 

;no question. Perhaps the first authentic mention we 
have of it is in an Arabic canon of the Council of Nice/ 

Turning to the persons to whom this blessing is to be 
imparted, it is to be remarked that it is not to be given to 
.all women indiscriminately. And as there is no obliga- 
tion binding even under pain of venial sin, women are 
only to be exhorted to receive it, but it is not to be im- 
posed as an obligation. !N'or is it of obligation that the 
.mother should bring her infant with her, as there is no 
law to that effect, nor is there anything in the ceremony 
that necessarily supposes the presence of the child. 
When a provincial council of Mechlin decreed to make 
churching obligatory, the Sacred Congregation at Rome 
•changed the decree. The blessing is not to be denied 
those whose infants have died without baptism. Says 
'O'Kane : ' ' The pastor may refuse it in any case in 
which the birth is notoriously illegitimate, even when 
there is no diocesan or provincial statute requiring him 
to do so." And the Sacred Congregation of Rites, on 
being consulted on the subject, decided that none but 
those whose children were born in lawful wedlock could 
claim a right to this blessing. '^ Also, according to the 
Second Plenary Council of Baltimore (N. 242), the bless- 
ing is not to be given promiscuously, but regard is to be 
had to the honorable condition of the person asking it. 
In short, it is a blessing for honorable, not for dishonor- 
.able, motherhood. 

There is no special legislation with regard to the priest 
Oby whom the blessing should be imparted, nor is there any 
need of it ; the pastor of the church to which the mother 
belongs, or his representative, is the person who, accord- 
ing to the most ordinary rules of propriety, should give it. 

1 " Kirchen-Lexicon." 
9 Felise, Decree, June 1«, 1«59 ; O'Kane ; De Herdt. 



The Chicrching of Woinen. 269 

The blessing is not to take place outside the church, 
even in the case of a mother who is in danger of death ; 
because as there is no obligation to receive it there can 
^e no sin in omitting it ; but in missionary countries 
where Mass has frequently to be said in a hall, a school- 
liouse, or a private dwelling, the blessing can also be 
imparted there. The rule, then, is that wherever Mass 
€an be celebrated the blessing can be given, but not else- 
where. 

With regard to the manner of giving the blessing, the 
t3ircumstauces of this and perhaps other missionary 
countries have made certain inroads on the strict re- 
quirements of the ritual. It directs that if a woman 
desires this blessing she shall kneel at the door of the 
church, holding a lighted candle in her hand ; and the 
priest, vested in surplice and white stole, and accom- 
panied by an acolyte, shall proceed to the door of the 
church, where he shall sprinkle her with holy water, and 
recite the twenty-third psalm, with an antipbon. Then 
be presents her the end of the stole which hangs from 
his left shoulder, which she takes with her right hand, 
while holding the candle in her left ; and they come up 
to the foot of the altar, the priest saying the while : 
*' Enter into the temple of God, adore the Son of the 
Blessed Virgin Mary, who has given thee fruitfulness of 
offspring." After certain versicles and responses, with 
the ''Our Father," the priest recites the prayer: 
*' Almighty, everlasting God, who through the delivery 
of the Blessed Virgin Mary hast changed the pains of 
the faithful in childbirth into joy, look mercifully on 
this Thy handmaid, who comes in gladness to Thy 
temple to offer thanksgiving ; and grant that, after this 
life, through the merits and intercession of the same 
Blessed Mary, she may be found worthy to attain, 



ie unurcmng of women, 

together with her offspring, to the joys of everlasting 
happiness. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen." The 
priest then sprinkles her with holy water, gives her a 
blessing, and the ceremony is ended. 

But it has just been said that the full ceremonial of 
the ritual is not always carried out in many places. 
Among us in this country it is not the general custom to 
meet the woman at the church door ; she more com- 
monly comes to the altar rail, where the priest, standing 
at the inner side of the railing, performs the ceremony. 
How far this departure from the strict requirements of 
the ritual is justified it is not the intention to inquire in 
this place ; but where it does exist it is known and at 
least tolerated by local ecclesiastical authorities. 

It may further be noted that while in many of the 
blessings, and in the administration of the sacrament of 
baptism, there are rubrics directing the plural number 
to be used when there is more than one person, there is 
no such rubric with regard to churching. But this is 
not always regarded, and there are frequently several 
women churched at the same time. Nothing is said in 
the ritual as to when the candle should be extinguished, 
or what is afterward to be done with it ; but it is com- 
monly extinguished at the conclusion of the ceremony, 
and left to the church to be burned on the altar. 

This blessing is asked in imitation of the Blessed Vir- 
gin presenting herself in the temple, and submitting to 
the ceremonial law of purification ; and, inasmuch as 
she made an offering on that occasion, it is customary 
with many Christian mothers to make an offering on 
the event of their being churched. It should not be 
regarded as strange that offerings are made to the priest 
or church on the occasion of baptisms, marriages, 
churchings, and the like. There are at least two very 



The Churching of Women, 271 

good reasons for this. In the first place, there is a 
propriety in the faithful making voluntary offerings for 
the spiritual benefits they receive through the minis- 
try of the priests, as those cannot be estimated at a 
price, as labor or merchandise can be ; and as they are 
the free gifts of God to His people, there is a fitness in 
making some return for them in the same manner. And 
in the second place, there is no professional man of the 
same education, and holding a position at all as respon- 
sible as that of the priest, who receives so small a 
salary ; and while professional men have only certain 
hours in which they are engaged, and seldom more 
than six or seven in the day, the priest is liable to be 
called at any moment, night or day, and when called 
he is strictly bound in conscience to render prompt 
service. The new-born infant can call him to the 
furthest end of his parish, were he ever so fatigued. 
And these offerings are commanded by God Himself, 
both in the Old and in the New Law.^ The statutes of 
every, or almost every, diocese have made his salary 
■comparatively small, knowing that he will receive cer- 
tain voluntary offerings, thus making these offerings a 
part of his necessary income ; and this gives him a sort 
of claim on the people for them. It is well for the 
faithful to have a correct idea of this matter; for 
while some of them imagine the priest is fond of money, 
the fact is he is the poorest paid man of education in 
the community. In large congregations, however, these 
perquisites do not, as a rule, go to the officiating priest, 
but are thrown into a general fund from which the 
salary of the pastor and his curates is taken in whole 
or in part, according to the amount. 

1 Deut. xvi. 16 ; I. Cor. ix. 43. 



272 The Blessing and Thanksgiving at Meals. 



^ 



XXIV.— THE BLESSING AND THANKSGIVING AT 
MEALS. 

It is not the intention to treat in this brief essay of 
the various forms of blessing and thanksgiving which 
are authorized by the Church and practised by different 
religious communities and some other persons, but 
rather to speak of the act itself — its propriety, its an- 
tiquity, the favor with which it has ever been regarded 
by the faithful, and the approval it has received from. 
many holy personages of the Old Law, and from our 
divine Saviour and His apostles and saints in the New, 
It is proper to remark in the beginning that while the 
priests of the Church, by the power they receive in 
ordination — having their hands anointed, that what- 
ever they bless shall be blessed, and whatever they 
sanctify shall be sanctified — are the proper persons to- 
bless articles officially as the ministers of God, and in 
His name ; still any person, even a child, is permitted 
to make the sign of the cross over any proper object, 
with 'the intention and desire that the. blessing of 
Heaven may descend upon it, and upon those who use 
it in the spirit of faith and in conformity to the divine 
will. For this reason it is not only permitted, but 
recommended, that lay persons should ask the blessing 
of God upon such things as they have occasion to use, 
and for which there is no special blessing. But as 
nothing in the natural order is more common or neces- 
sary than the food we eat, it is very fitting that it 
should be sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 
Under the head of the blessing of food thanksgiving is 



The Blessing and Thanksgiving at Meals, 273 

also commonly included, whether it is made before or 
after the meal. 

Turning to the authorities on the subject, we learn 
that the blessing of food was enjoined on the Jews by 
God Himself. Moses, laying down the law for the 
chosen people, says : **When thou hast eaten, and art 
full, bless the Lord." ^ According to the Talmud, the 
form of prayer recited by the Jews after each meal was 
this: ''Blessed be Thou, O Lord, our God, the King 
of the world, who hast produced this food (or drink) 
from the earth (or the vine)." ^ 

Monsig. Gaume, however, gives a more particular 
account of this ceremony, which will doubtless be inter- 
esting to the reader! He informs us that at meal-time 
''the father of the family, surrounded by his children, 
said: ' Blessed be the Lord our God, whose goodness 
gives food to all flesh.' Then taking a cup of wine in 
his right hand, he blessed it, saying, 'Blessed be the 
Lord our God, who has created the fruit of the vine.' 
He first tasted it, and then passed it to his guests, who 
also tasted it. Then followed the blessing of the bread. 
Taking it between his hands, the father of the family 
said : ' Praised and blessed be the Lord our God, who 
has drawn bread from the earth.' He then broke the 
bread, ate a piece, and gave some to his guests. It 
was only then that the meal began. When they 
changed the wine or brought in new dishes, a particular 
blessing was made over each, so that every kind of 
nourishment was purified and consecrated. The meal 
being ended they sang a hymn of thanksgiving." * 

Turning to the New Dispensation, we have the highest 

^ Deuteronomy, viii. 10. 
2 " The Life of Jesus Christ,'' Maas, p. 220. 
3 " The Sign of the Cross in the Nineteenth Century," pp. 244, 245^ 



^74 The Blessing and Thanksgiving at Meals. 

sanction for this universal custom in the example of our 
divine Redeemer, who on several occasions is said to 
have blessed the simple fare prepared for Himself and 
His apostles or the multitudes, as in the institution of 
the Blessed Eucharist and in the multiplying of the 
loaves and fishes, as well as at other times. St. Paul, 
too, frequently admonishes the early Christians to receive 
the gifts of God with thanksgiving. 

It is impossible that a custom so perfectly in harmony 
with the promptings of a generous nature, as well as 
with the practice of holy men of earlier times, should 
not have been adopted and practised by Christians from 
the beginning; and that such was the case we have 
.abundant evidence. The extracts f rdm the Fathers which 
I shall proceed to give are taken for the most part from 
Monsig. Gaume, above quoted. 

Says Tertullian : '* Prayer begins and ends the meal." 
St. Athanasius bears witness, in the following words, to 
the custom of his early day: ''When we sit down to 
table, and take the bread to break it, we make the sign 
of the cross over it three times, and return thanks. 
After the repast we renew our thanksgiving by say- 
ing thrice : ' The good and merciful Lord has given 
food to them that fear Him. Glory be to the Father,' " 
-etc. The austere St. Jerome follows with the admo- 
nition: ''Let no one ever sit at table without hav- 
ing prayed, and let him never leave it without having 
^iven thanks to the Creator." Carried away by his 
-ardent zeal, St. John Chrysostom rebukes some of the 
Christians of his time in such forcible terms as these : 
*' We must pray before and after meals. Hear this, 
ye swine who nourish yourselves with the gifts of 
God without raising your eyes to the Hand that gives 
them." 



The Blessing and Thanksgiving at Meals. 275 

Not only in families was the blessing of food practised, 
but even in camp among the soldiers, where, if in any 
place, we should expect to see it omitted. St. Gregory 
Nazianzen, among others, bears witness to this fact, and 
that, too, in tlie time of Julian the Apostate — a circum- 
stance which is worthy of note. 

It is needless to add further evidence on this point. 
The custom is so well known that no one at all familiar 
with the daily life of the early Christians will presume to 
call it in question. But the reader will be interested in 
having placed before him some of the forms of prayer 
made use of on such occasions at that early day. The 
two following are taken from Origen, one of the earliest 
writers of the Church. The blessing before meals is in 
these words : '* O Thou who givest food to all that 
breathe, deign to bless the food we are about to take. 
Thou hast said that if we should ever drink any poisonous 
thing, we should receive no injury thereby, provided we 
would invoke Thy name, for Thou art all-powerful. 
Take away, then, from this food all that is dangerous 
and hurtful in it," And the thanksgiving was couched 
in these terms: '* Blessed be Thou, O Lord our God, 
Vv^ho hast nourished us since our infancy, and with us 
all that breathe. Fill our hearts with joy, that we may- 
abound in all kinds of good works. Through Jesus 
Christ Our Lord, to whom, with Thee and the Holy 
Ghost, be glory, honor, and power. Amen." How pro- 
found the philosophy, how simply beautiful the language^ 
of these invocations ! 

Whenever a priest was present, the honor of asking 
the blessing was very properly conferred on him. And 
indeed the practice of asking the blessing at table was 
regarded as so holy that when, in the ninth century, the 
Bulgarians were converted to the faith, they asked Pope 



276" The Blessing and Thanksgiving at Meals, 

!N"icholas I. whether a layman might take the place of a 
priest in performing this function. ''Without doubt," 
answered the Pontiff ; '' for it has been given to each one 
to preserve by the sign of the cross all that belongs to 
him from the snares of the demon, and in the name of 
Our Lord Jesus Christ to triumph over his attacks." ^ 

Different nations have different customs in this as in 
almost everything else ; but among some, especially 
among the Germans, in this country at least, it is usual 
to have one of the children pronounce the blessing at 
meals. I have been at table in their houses, when, 
though a priest, I was passed by, and one of the children 
asked the blessing. I approve of this custom, because it 
familiarizes children with such pious exercises ; and the 
great, the crying want of our day is more prayer, and 
prayer on ordinary occasions. 

So natural to man is the blessing before meals, and 
so deeply grounded in his nature, that even the pagans 
saw the propriety and felt the necessity of it, as may be 
learned from their writings. And here again I shall 
beg leave to quote from Monsig. Gaume : *^!N'ever," 
says Athenaeus, "did the ancients take their meals with- 
out having first implored the gods." And speaking of 
the Egyptians, the earliest of all the pagan nations of 
whom we have an authentic history, he continues : 
"Having taken their places on the banquet-couches, 
they arose, knelt down, and the chief of the banquet or 
the priest began the traditional prayers, which they 
recited after him ; after that they resumed their places. " 

The pouring out of libations to the gods, not only at 
the beginning of the feast, but at the bringing in of the 
several courses, is so well known as to require the merest 
reference. The Romans had a proverb which the learned 

1 "The Sign of the Cross," etc., p. 240. 



The Blessing and Thanksgiving at Meals, 277 

Erasmus translates as meaning: ''Do not throw your- 
selves on the food like beasts, but eat only after having 
offered the first-fruits to the gods." Even among the 
pagans, according to their best writers, the daily repast 
was regarded as something sacred. The reason why 
these blessings were pronounced and libations poured 
out, according to Porphyrins, a high authority in such 
matters, is given in these words : ' ' It must be known 
that the dwellings are full of demons. This is w^hy we 
purify them by expelling those malevolent hosts every 
time we pray to the gods. Moreover, all creatures are 
full of them, for they particularly relish certain kinds 
of food. So when we sit at table, they not only place 
themselves beside us, but also attach themselves to our 
iDodies. Thence comes the use of lustrations, the prin- 
cipal end of which is not so much to invoke the gods as 
to expel the demons." 

There is no indulgence attached to the mere asking of 
a blessing before meals, or the returning of thanks after 
it ; but prayers are sometimes said at meals which have 
been indulgenced by the Holy See without reference to 
the occasion on which they are recited. 

All fair-minded persons then, whether Christian or 
not, must, by the weight of the most irrefragable proofs, 
conclude with the learned Monsig. Gaume that "prayer 
over food is as ancient as the world, as widespread as 
mankind." The virtue of prudence will teach that it is 
not advisable to make the sign of the cross over food on 
some occasions and in some company, but it will not 
teach that it is ever advisable to omit at least a secret 
blessing of the gifts of God. 

It is much to be regretted that contact, with an unbe- 
lieving world has exercised a baneful influence over 
many Christians, causing them to forget or neglect the 



278 The Blessing and Thanksgiving at Meals, 

pious custom of blessing before and thanksgiving after 
meals, so reasonable in itself, so consonant with the 
spirit of our holy faith\ and so highly sanctioned and 
consecrated not only by the practice of the noblest por- 
tion of the human race — the saints — but commanded by 
the voice of God, and practised by His Incarnate Son. 
during His sojourn upon earth. Can a custom so rec- 
ommended carry with it anything but a blessing ? Can 
a faithful child of the Church regard it lightly, or blush 
to practise it ? It were to brand himself as more neg- 
ligent or forgetful than even the pagans, much less the 
favored children of a kind and merciful God. Far be it 
from any Christians in our day so to dishonor their 
fathers in the faith. 



Sacred Vestments. 279 



XXV. —SACRED VESTMENTS. 

In treating of the holy sacrifice of the Mass the Coun- 
cil of Trent uses the following words : '* Whereas such 
is the nature of man that, without external helps, he 
cannot easily be raised to the meditation of divine 
things, therefore has holy mother Church instituted cer- 
tain rites, to wit, that certain things be pronounced in 
the Mass in a low and others in a louder tone. She has 
likewise employed ceremonies, such as mystic benedic- 
tions, lights, incense, vestments, and many other things 
of this kind, derived from an apostolical tradition, 
whereby both the majesty of so great a sacrifice might 
be recommended and the minds of the faithful be ex- 
cited by those visible signs of religion and piety to the 
contemplation of those most sublime things which are 
hidden in this sacrifice." ^ 

This passage reveals a very important truth of which 
we are all conscious, but to which perhaps we too seldom 
advert ; yet it exercises an influence on our civil, re- 
ligious, and military life. The simple dais on which 
the school-teacher sits gives him an influence which he 
would not have without it. So, too, the elevation of the 
royal throne, the pulpit, etc. The effect with regard to 
a uniform or a religious habit is still more marked, be- 
cause its influence is both objective and subjective : it 
not only impresses others with the position of the person 
who wears it, but it also reminds him that he should 
" walk worthy of the vocation whereunto he is called." 
Eor this reason it is that soldiers, policemen, firemen, 
* Session xxii., chapter v., Waterworth's translation. , . . 



280 JSacred Vestments, 

and others are uniformed, that they may respect them- 
selves and may the better command the respect of those 
around them. Much more is this true of religious ; for, 
though there is a saying that the habit does not make 
the monk, it is nevertheless true that it has a great deal 
to do with making him. All this is in perfect harmony 
with right reason ; and whatever is in harmony with 
reason is pleasing to God, the Author of reason. 

While the sacred vestments are sacramentals, answer- 
ing all the requirements of the definition, they are 
something besides, which the other sacramentals are 
not. They are an appropriate dress, fitting the minister 
of God to perform his sacred functions in a more dig- 
nified and becoming manner. And here it may not be 
out of place to correct an erroneous impression on the 
minds of not a few Catholics : that, namely, that the 
vestments give the priest power. They do not. He re- 
ceives all his powers directly from God, through the 
ministry of the bishop, in his ordination. But it is for 
the bishop of the diocese in which he is to labor to de- 
fine the limits and the circumstances in which he shall 
exercise some of these powers, such, for example, as 
hearing confessions. 

We have but meagre information regarding what may 
be called the priesthood of the Patriarchal Church ; all 
that we know is that the patriarch, or some one desig- 
nated by him, officiated at the sacrifices ; but whether 
he wore a distinctive dress or insignia during the sacri- 
fice, or whether his venerable appearance was sufficiently 
characteristic of his office, we have no means of knowing 
at the present time. But I am of opinion that evea 
then there must have been some peculiarity in his dress, 
from the fact that among all nations, no matter how 
civilized or how barbarous, the priest -who among the ' 




Uses of the Bell. 



See page 294. 



Sacred Vestments, 281 

latter was generally the medicine-man — was and still is 
dressed differently from the rest of the people when 
performing his religious rites. And, as I have frequently 
insisted in these pages, paganism is a corruption of true 
revelation, and even in its greatest deformity it bears 
evidence to that fact. 

When it pleased Almighty God to give a fuller revela- 
tion of His holy will, in the establishment of the Mosaic 
law, He prescribed in the minutest manner the material 
and form of the sacerdotal vestments, and enjoined 
them under the severest penalties ; and so deeply did 
the people venerate the vestments of the high«priest 
that Josephus tells us they had a light constantly burn- 
ing before them in the place in which they were kept. 
The kind and form of the vestments of the New Law 
were not prescribed by a divine command, and this for 
two reasons : in the first place, because by a miracle of 
omnipotence our divine Kedeemer gave to the head of 
His Church the plenitude of power, promising the sanc- 
tion of Heaven to his enactments ; and, in the second, 
because the Christian Church, unlike the Jewish, was 
not intended for one nation only, but for the world, and 
for all time ; and must vary somewhat in external mat- 
ters, according to times and peoples, in the lapse of time 
in which it is to exist, and the countless variety of 
nations to which it is to be preached. 

The word vestment, like most of the terms used in the 
liturgy, is of Latin origin, and has, derivatively, the 
same meaning as the English word clothing ; but usage 
has long since restricted it to garments worn by the min- 
isters of religion during the performance of their sacred 
functions. 

In the first four or five centuries the vestments worn 
by the clergy were the common dress of men in the 



283 Sacred Vestments. 

Roman Empire ; and it was not till the repeated incur- 
sions of the barbarians had wholly changed the customs 
of southern Europe, and introduced new fashions in 
dress, that sacerdotal vestments became peculiar to one 
class and to religious functions. This change was 
effected gradually, of course, and rather by the force of 
circumstances than by the decrees of ecclesiastical au- 
thority. But though this is true, two points are to be 
noticed : in the first place, that the uses to which vest- 
ments were devoted would cause them, though conform- 
ing in pattern to the every-day dress of men, to be made 
of more costly material than other garments and to be 
more richly ornamented ; and, in the second place, that 
the use for which they were intended would suggest the 
propriety of reserving them for sacred functions only. 
History confirms what propriety suggests ; for about the 
middle of the third century Pope Stephen ordained that 
the Levites should not wear the consecrated vestments 
in common life, but only in the church. 

There are five colors of vestments : white, red, green^ 
violet, and black. There is also gold-cloth ; but this, in 
the sense of the rubrics, is no color, but only a substitute 
for certain other colors. Different writers on liturgy 
held different opinions as to what colors gold-cloth is 
permitted to represent, but by a decree of the Sacred 
Congregation of Eites of April 28, 1866, it is permitted 
to be used for white, red, and green, according to the 
custom of the place. But the decree supposes that it is 
real gold-cloth, and not an imitation. In some places 
rose- colored vestments are worn on the third Sunday of 
Advent, the fourth of Lent, and the feast of the Holy 
Innocents, when it does not fall on a Sunday. Formerly 
this color was also worn in some places on the feasts of 
martyrs. The various colors came gradually into use. 



Sacred Vestments. 283 

At first, and up to the sixth century, only white was 
used. About that time other colors were added, but 
violet does not appear to have been worn till about the 
beginning of the thirteenth century. Pope Innocent III. 
is the first writer to mention four coloi:s. The necessity 
the early missionaries of this and other countries were 
under of making the parcel which they were required to 
carry from one missionary station to another as small as 
possible, led to the use of vestments which combined 
two colors, as red and white, the cross on the back and 
the bar in the middle in front being of one color, and 
the rest of the vestment of another. This has been for- 
bidden by the Holy See, and is seldom or never seen at 
present. Beyond these remarks it is not the intention 
to refer to any of the numerous local customs of churches, 
dioceses, or countries. TVhile the existence of these cus- 
toms tends to show the tolerant spirit of the Church in 
matters not essential, they also show the unity in vari- 
ety of the Church's liturgy ; for if order is heaven's first 
law, variety is the second. There can be no success with- 
out the one, and there can be no pleasure without the 
other. 

Examining the vestments worn by the priest in the 
light of ecclesiastical tradition, we find them to have a 
practical use and a mystic signification, both of which 
will appear as we proceed. The mystic holds so impor- 
tant a place in the liturgy of the Church that an inquiry 
into the signification of the several colors will be in- 
structive. Says O'Brien: ''TT/izYe, being symbolic of 
purity, innocence, and glory, is, as a general rule, em- 
ployed on the special feasts of Our Lord and the Blessed 
Virgin, and on those of the angels, virgins, and con- 
fessors. Red^ the symbol of fortitude, is the color proper 
to Pentecost, in memory of the tongues of fire ; it is also 



284 Sacred Vestments, 

used on the feasts of the apostles and martyrs, and on 
those of Our Lord's Passion. Green, symbolic of hope, 
is used as the color of the time from the octave of the 
Epiphany to Septuagesima, and from the octave of 
Pentecost to Advent. Violet, the penitential color, is 
used on all occasions of public alfliction and sorrow, in 
time of fasting and penance, and in all those processions 
which do not immediately concern the Blessed Sacra- 
ment. This color is also used on the feast of the Holy 
Innocents, on account of the lamentations and weepings- 
heard through Jerusalem when they were massacred by 
order of Herod. But should, this feast fall on Sunday, 
the color of the occasion is red, as also the color of the 
octave, from the fact that the lamentations taken up are 
supposed to have ceased by this time, and the eighth day 
is always significant of beatitude and glory. Black, from 
its gloomy appearance, and because it is the negation of 
all color, is used in Masses and Offices of the Dead, and 
on Good Friday in memory of the profound darkness- 
that covered the land when Our Lord was crucified." ^ 

It is the intention to speak of those vestments only 
which the people are accustomed to see the priest wear ; 
for it is thought more interesting and instructive for 
them to understand these than to be told, for example, 
of the archbishop's pallium, or something which they 
seldom or never see. The cassock, being the ordinary 
dress of the priest, does not come under the name of a 
vestment. The vestments proper are the amice, the alb, 
the cincture, the maniple, the stole, and the chasuble \ 
to which will here be added the cope, the shoulder- veil, ; 
and the surplice, as being in common use in religious 
functions. 

Propriety would dictate that the vestments used in the 

* " History of the Mass,'' p. 63. 



Sacred Vestments. 285 

service of religion should first receive an appropriate 
blessing. This is confirmed both by the custom of the 
Church to bless all things which she makes use of, and 
also by the fact that God Himself directed that the vest- 
ments employed in the service of religion in the Mosaic- 
law should be consecrated with a solemn ceremony. It 
is not known with certainty when the custom of blessing 
them was first introduced, but it must be very ancient. 
The first mention of it is found in the Gregorian '^ Sacra- 
mentary " ; and the Council of Poitiers, held in the year 
1100, forbids anyone but bishops to give this blessing, 
and Pope Innocent III. confirmed this decree. Bishops, 
however, very often impart this faculty to their priests 
in missionary countries. 

Worn-out vestments are not to be turned to profane 
uses, but are to be devoted to some other purpose in the 
church, or else be burnt, and the ashes thrown into the 
sacrariuin, on the general principle that whatever has 
been consecrated to God cannot be turned to the use of 
man. 

Turning to the several vestments, we have first to 
treat of the amice^ which is an oblong piece of white 
linen with strings at two of its corners by which it is ta 
be adjusted. The name is derived from the Latin word 
amictus, which means to wrap around or about ; and 
the amice is intended, with the alb, to conceal the every- 
day dress of the priest, so that, on approaching the 
altar, he may lay aside all that savors of the world, and 
may in very truth appear what St. Paul calls him — '• a 
man of God." At first the amice was not worn, but it 
appears to have come into general use about the com- 
mencement of the eighth century. ■ Formerly it covered 
the head, and it is so worn at present by several religious 
Orders till the beginning of the Mass. Nor was it first 



586 Sacred Vestments, 

invariably made of linen as now, but occasionally of 
<silk or other material, and it was sometimes richly 
ornamented. 

Inquiring into the symbolical meaning of the amice, 
we need not be surprised that writers have assigned 
various significations, as they have also done with regard 
to the other sacred vestments. But the best means of 
arriving at a correct idea of the mind of the Church is 
to examine the prayer recited by the priest while cloth- 
ing himself with the amice. He says : * * Place, O Lord, 
on my head the helmet of salvation, for repelling the 
attacks of the Evil One." From this it appears that the 
amice is symbolical of the helmet worn by soldiers to 
protect them from the blows of their adversaries. 

The alh derives its name from the Latin word alba, 
white, because it is always of that color. It is simply 
the undergarment formerly worn by both the Greeks 
and Romans. The name was not incorporated into 
ecclesiastical terminology before the end of the third 
century, although the garment itself w^as in use from 
the beginning. IS'or was it always made of linen, as at 
present, but was sometimes of other material, and more 
or less richly ornamented. The use of lace for the 
lower part of the alb is of still more recent introduction. 
The prayer recited by the priest while putting on the 
alb affords the most correct idea of the mystic significa- 
tion of the garment. It is couched in the following 
terms: *' Purify me, O Lord, and make me clean of 
heart, that, washed in the blood of the Lamb, I may 
possess eternal joys." In vesting himself, then, with 
the alb the priest is reminded of those ''who washed 
their robes and made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb," and of the purity of soul and body with which 
he should approach the altar to offer the same immacu- 



Sacred Vestments, 28T 

late Lamb to the Eternal Father for his sins and those 
of the. whole world. 

The gii'dle or cincture, with which the priest or other 
sacred minister secures the alb about his person, was in 
use among both the Greeks and Romans, and was in- 
troduced as a matter of necessity into the list of sacred 
vestments. In the Middle Ages cinctures were richly- 
ornamented, and were made of various materials. The 
shape, too, was more or less arbitrary ; and they were 
sometimes found in the form of lampreys, eels, etc. 
According to the present discipline of the Church it 
should be of linen rather than of other material, but it 
may also be of wool, and may vary in color with the 
vestments.* It is the symbol of continence and self- 
restraint, as is expressed in the prayer which the priest 
says while girding himself: ^'Gird me, O Lord, with 
the cincture of purity, and extinguish within me the 
humors of concupiscence, that the virtues of continence 
and chastity may abide in me." 

The next vestment which the priest puts on, and 
which is also worn by the deacon and subdeacon, is the 
maniple, which is of the same material and color as the 
stole and chasuble. It is worn, as is well known, oa 
the left arm, and is fastened just below the elbow by a 
tape or pin. It is not until the eighth or ninth century 
that any trace of the maniple is found. As its name — 
manipulus — indicates, it was originally simply a hand- 
kerchief for wiping away perspiration or the tears of 
devotion shed by the pious celebrant ; but it has under- 
gone various changes in the course of time, such as 
being enriched with ornaments, so that its original use 
has altogether been lost sight of, and it is now nothing 

^ Decrees, January 22, 1701 ; January 8, 1709 ; and December 23,. 

1862. 



388 Sacred Vestments, 

more than an ornament. But the original use of the 
maniple is still referred to in the prayer recited by the 
priest while putting it on : *' May I merit, O Lord, to 
bear the maniple of weeping and sorrow, that I may re- 
ceive with joy the reward of labor." 

After the maniple comes the stole^ a vestment which 
has undergone many changes, and has been the subject 
of no little controversy among liturgists. The word is 
-derived from the Greek, and means a robe of any kind, 
while the Latin term designated the outer garment worn 
by women of rank. In the earlier ages it was frequently, 
and indeed generally, called the ovarium^ which means 
a handkerchief ; and it is mentioned by this name as 
early as the middle of the fourth century in the decrees 
of the Council of Leodicea. From that time forward 
frequent mention is made of it in the canons of councils. 
But the first mention of it by the now familiar name of 
stole does not occur before the ninth century. Its use 
was gradually restricted both as to the functions in 
which it should be worn and the persons who were per- 
mitted to make use of it, till the present discipline was 
finally adopted. This was about the time of Charle- 
magne, that is, near the close of the eighth century. 
It is the most frequently worn of all the sacred vest- 
ments ; and it is the privilege of the Pope to wear it all 
the time. With the adoption of the name stole that of 
orariitm fell into disuse ; but just why the one was 
substituted for the other it is at present impossible to 
determine. 

Among the vestments the stole is the symbol of im- 
mortality, and also of the obedience of our divine Ke- 
deemer. The prayer recited while the priest vests him- 
self with it refers both to the original signification of 
the Greek term and to the mystic meaning of the word. 



Sacred Vestments, 289 

It reads : ^* Restore unto me, O Lord, the stole of im- 
mortality, which I lost by the fall of our first parents, 
that, although I am unworthy to approach Thy holy 
mysteries, I may, notwithstanding, merit an eternal 
reward." 

Lastly comes the chasuble, about which more has been 
written, wisely and unwisely, than about any other vest- 
ment. Its material, its shape, its size, its uses, etc., have 
been subjected to an endless torture. But, inasmuch 
as this essay is written for the general reader rather than 
for the learned antiquarian, such points only will be 
dwelt upon as are believed to be of general interest and 
instruction. The more learned will readily know where 
to look for fuller information. The word chasuble is of 
Latin origin, although it is not found in the writings of 
the classic authors of that vigorous and polished tongue. 
In its stead they use the word pcenula, which means a 
mantle or cloak, and was the outer garment worn by 
the Romans when on journeys or in military service. 
The Latin word casula, which is translated chasuble, is 
the diminutive of casa, and literally means a little 
house, because, in its original form, the garment covered 
the entire body, like a little house. The term is first 
met with in the will of Caesarius of Aries, near the 
middle of the sixth century, and in the biography of 
his contemporary Fulgentius of Ruspe ; but in both 
cases it means a garment used in every-day life. It is 
also called planeta, from a Greek word which signifies 
to wander, because, as St. Isidore of Seville remarks, its 
ample folds seem to wander over the body rather than 
to fit it closely. It was only in the early half of the 
sixth century that it became exclusively a sacerdotal 
vestment. It was then a very ample garment, having a 
hole in the centre for passing the head through. It 



290 Sacred Vestments, 

retained this shape till about the eleventh century, when 
it began to undergo changes, the first of which was 
introduced for the sake of convenience, the sides being 
cut away to give the arms of the celebrant freer action. 
It is needless to enlarge on the numerous changes that 
have taken place in the form of the chasuble till at 
present it scarcely retains a vestige of its original ap- 
pearance ; of the attempts that have been made by well- 
meaning persons to bring it back to its primitive form ; 
of the manner in which it came to be made of stiff mate- 
rial and ornamented ; or of the many other points that 
might prove interesting and instructive to the learned, 
but which are of little practical use to the general 
reader. It remains to remark briefly on its mystic 
signification. 

Early writers have attributed several mystic significa- 
tions to the chasuble, based for the most part on the fact 
that it originally covered the entire body. The first and 
most generally adopted was charity ; but it is also re- 
garded as the emblem of justice, humility, and peace, 
which should, as it were, cover the priest as the min- 
ister of Him in whom all these virtues shone with a 
lustre infinitely perfect. But the prayer recited by the 
priest while vesting himself with it regards it rather as 
symbolical of the yoke of Christ. He says : *' O Lord, 
who hast said. My yoke is sweet and My burden light, 
grant that I may so bear it as to obtain Thy grace. 
Amen." 

The cope, which is called pluviale in the Latin litur- 
gical language, as a protection against rain, from the 
Latin word pluvia — rain — does not appear to have had 
its equivalent among the garments of the ancient 
Komans. But strictly speaking it is only another form 
of the chasuble, better adopted to processions and out- 



Sacred Vestments, 291 

door religious functions, and the cape on it is a remnant 
of the hood which those who wore it were formerly 
accustomed to draw over their heads in inclement 
weather. It is so well known to the faithful that 
nothing need be said of its form or material. It is not, 
however, an exclusively sacerdotal vestment, as it is 
worn by the chanters at Vespers, where Vespers are 
celebrated according to the strict requirements of the 
ceremonial. It would be difficult to determine the time 
when it became a vestment distinct in form aud use 
from the chasuble ; but it is mentioned in one of the 
Koman Ordos. No special blessing is given for the cope, 
and whether it is to be blessdd or irot is disputed by 
liturgical writers. Nor is any prayer to be recited by 
the priest while putting it on. ^ 

The humeral^ or slioiLlder-veil, is made of the same 
material as the cope, and is used by the subdeacon in 
solemn Masses to hold the paten, from the Offertory to 
the Pater Noster^ in imitation of the Levites of the Old 
Law, who were not permitted to carry the sacred vessels 
till they had been wrapped up in the coverings by the 
priests. It is also worn by the priest while giving bene- 
diction with the Most Blessed Sacrament, and when 
carrying the same Holy Sacrament in procession. It is 
impossible to fix the date of its introduction ; but from 
the use to which it is put by the subdeacon it or a sub- 
stitute for it must have been early brought into requisi- 
tion. No blessing is required for it, and nothing is said 
while putting it on. 

Much more, however, is to be said of the surplice. 
This term, derived from the Latin word super pelichim^ 
literally means a garment worn over another made of 
skins. It is related of many of the anchorites of the 

1 London Tablet, 1891, p. 941. 



292 Sacred Vestments. 

early ages that they had outer garments made of the 
skins of animals, as well as of other materials ; and, 
indeed, it is but natural for the pioneers of any country, 
who have often to subsist to a great extent on the flesh 
of animals killed in the chase, to clothe themselves with 
the skins of the same animals. Persons familiar with 
the history of our country need not be told of this. 
Obeying this law of necessity, as well as carrying out a 
cherished spirit -of poverty, it was but natural that the 
anchorites and monks of early times, who are well 
known to have been the pioneers of civilization as well 
as of religion in. many parts of Europe, should, in the 
absence of a better outfit, have clothed themselves with 
the skins of the animals they were obliged to kill in order 
to prevent them from destroying their fields or flocks. 
These rustic garments were admirably suited to protect 
the monks in the north of Europe, or in other cold cli- 
mates, from the severity of the winters, when they 
entered their chapels in the dead of night to recite the 
Divine Office. But their sense of what was becoming the 
house of God, however humble it may have been, and 
much more their ideas of propriety in approaching the 
sacraments, would suggest some sort of covering for this 
humble garb on such occasions. Hence the introduction 
and the name of surplice — something worn over this 
ruder garment of skins. The important Synod of Aix- 
la-Chapelle, held in 817, decreed that each monk should 
have two garments of fur. Over this the linen garment, 
or surplice^ was worn ; but it is uncertain when this 
latter custom was introduced, although it is mentioned 
by the Council of Coyaca, in 1050. Durandus, wha 
flourished near the close of the thirteenth century, and 
who had a most extraordinary talent for discovering 
mystic significations, speaks of it as already ancient^ 



Sacred Vestments. 293 

though not universal. At first it was longer than at 
present, resembling rather an alb than a surplice ; and 
it was made of linen instead of lace, as it is generally 
made in our day. In other words, the useful feature 
predominated over the ornamental, which is not the 
case in our time. The use of lace for the mere purpose 
of adding effect does not date further back, perhaps, 
than two centuries. At first it was the exception, now 
it is the rule. 

In the conferring of Orders, the giving of the surplice 
with the right to wear it in religious functions is found 
in the conferring of tonsure, the step by which a person 
ceases to be a layman and becomes an ecclesiastic, and 
which is neither one of the Minor nor of the Holy 
Orders. The bishop recites the following words, 
adapted from St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians (iv. 24) : 
'^May the Lord clothe thee with the new man, who ac- 
cording to God is created in justice and in the holiness 
of truth." 

No blessing is required for the surplice ; and it is 
needless to remark that the altar-boys of our churches, 
who wear it in serving at Mass or Vespers, do so by a 
privilege which custom has sanctioned and of which the 
Church tacitly approves. 



294 . Church Bells, 



XXVI.— CHURCH BELLS. 

The history of bells is full of romantic interest. In 
civilized times they have been intimately associated, not 
only with all kinds of religious and social rites, but 
with almost every important historical event. Their in- 
fluence upon architecture is not less remarkable, for to 
them indirectly we probably owe all the most famous 
towers in the world. Gross, in his "Antiquities," ob- 
serves: "Towers at first scarcely rose above the roof, 
being as lanterns for the admission of light, an addition 
to the height was in all likelihood suggested on the more 
common use of bells." ^ 

It does not enter into the purpose of this essay to 
discuss the question of bells in general further than is 
necessary for an understanding of them in their con- 
nection with the services of religion, much less to speak 
of their form, the material of which they are made, or 
the manufacture of them. 

The word hell is of Anglo-Saxon origin, being derived 
from hellan^ which means to make a hollow sound ; 
from which also we have the words bellow^ hawl^ and 
peal. Bells are very ancient, but the date of their com- 
ing into use cannot be determined. They are said to 
have been used in the worship of Osiris in Egypt at a. 
very early day; and it may be due to this fact that 
Hoses, who was learned in all the sciences of the 
Egyptians, introduced them into the Jewish liturgy, as 
we read in Exodus (xxviii. 32-35) . But there was, 
doubtless, a development in bells, as there is in almost 

^- 1 "Encyclopaedia Britaunica," vol. iii. p. 538. ,,^^^ 



Church Bells, 295 

everything else, from a ruder to a more perfect form 
and tone ; and it is, besides, difficult to determine 
whether the words translated hell from the ancient 
languages, whether Egyptian, Hebrew, Chaldean, Greek, 
or Latin, meant an instrument such as the bells of our 
day or not. Mr. Layard, a distinguished Orientalist, 
believes that he has found some small bells among the 
ruins of Nimroud. If this be true, it would tend to 
throw light on the subject. 

*' The Romans used bells for various purposes. Lu- 
cian, A.D. 180, mentions an instrument — clepsydra — 
mechanically constructed with water, which rang a bell 
as the water flowed to measure time. Bells sum- 
moned the Romans to the public baths; they were 
also used in processions, and so passed naturally into 
the service of the Western Church. The first re- 
corded application of them to churches is ascribed bv 
Polydore Vergil to Paulinus (about 400 a.d.). He was 
Bishop of Nola, a city of Campania (hence nola and 
campana, the names of certain bells). It has been 
maintained that Pope Sabinianus, 604, first used church 
bells ; but it seems clear that they were introduced into 
Prance as early as 550. In 680 Benedict, abbot of 
Wearmouth, imported them from Italy; and in the 
seventh century Bede mentions them in England. . . . 
In Jthe eleventh century they were not uncommon in 
Switzerland and Germany. It is incredible that the 
Greek Christians, as has been asserted, were unac- 
quainted with bells till the ninth century ; but it is 
certain that, for political reasons, after the taking of 
Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, their use was 
forbidden, lest they should provide a popular signal for 
revolt. Several old bells are extant in Scotland, Ire- 
land, and Wales ; the oldest are often quadrangular, 



296 Church Bells. 

made of thin iron plates hammered and riveted to- 
gether." ^ 

Small bells were in use long before large ones ; and ic 
was customary in very ancient times, as it is at present, 
to hang them around the necks of animals, the easier to 
find them if they went astray. It is not the intention 
to speak of the enormous bells of Russia and China ; 
but it may be remarked that as late as the eleventh 
century a bell was presented to the church at Orleans, 
France, which weighed only 2600 pounds, but which 
was thought very large. 

Bells received different names according to the uses 
to which they were devoted. This was especially true 
of those used in monasteries ; but this is a matter of 
local, or at least of only minor, importance. Nor is it 
necessary to refer to the little bells used at Mass and 
certain other religious functions, as they are not blessed. 
Names were given to bells as early at least as the time 
of Pope John XIII., who, on blessing the great bell of 
the Lateran basilica, named it after his patron saint, 
John. 

The custom of blessing bells was introduced early, 
and one of the capitularies of Charlemagne, of 787, 
speaks of it. Later a form of blessing for the metal of 
w^hich a bell is to be cast was also found in the ritual, 
but it is seldom used, and will be passed over. 

There are two forms of blessing bells given in the 
ritual; the one for a church bell, the other for a bell 
not intended to be used for the church, but for some 
other purpose, as for a school or monastery. This latter 
blessing will be passed over. The bell that is to be 
blessed, or christened, as the people sometimes say, 
should be brought into the church and placed at the 

1 " Encyclopaedia Britannica," vol. iii. p. 536. 



Church Bells. 297 

head of the middle aisle, or at some other convenient 
place, in such a manner that the officiating ministers 
may easily pass around it in the performance of the 
yarious ceremonies. The blessing must be performed 
by the bishop, or by a priest having the necessary 
faculties from him. The bishop, seated near the bell, 
begins by reciting, alternately with the clergy present, 
the 50th, 53d, 56th, 66th, 69th, 85th, and 129th psalms. 
He then rises and blesses the water to be used in the 
ceremony with the ordinary blessing for holy water, 
except that an additional prayer is recited calling down 
the benediction of Heaven on the water, to fit it for the 
particular use for which it is intended. The bishop 
then begins to wash the bell with this water, and the 
assisting ministers continue it till the bell is washed 
inside and out, the bishop in the meantime reciting 
with the clergy the psalms from the 145th to the 150th, 
inclusive, sitting the while. He next rises and recites a 
prayer, in which reference is made to the command of 
God to Moses to make trumpets for calling the people 
together for the sacrifices, and begging that at the 
sound of this bell the devotion of the people may be 
enkindled ; that all the wiles of the spirit of evil may 
be frustrated ; that all disturbances of the elements 
may be calmed ; that the air may be healthful ; and 
that at the sound of this bell the spirits of evil may 
depart at the sign of the cross marked upon it. He 
now intones the 28th psalm, with an antiphon before 
and after it. 

The bishop then takes the oil of the sick, and with it 
makes seven signs of the cross on the exterior of the bell 
at different places, reciting at each the words : ^ ' May 
this signal, O Lord, be sanc^-tified and conse^l- crated. 
In the name of the Fa-l-ther, and of the Son*}*, and of 



298 Church Bells. 

the Holy 4- Ghost. Amen." He next recites a prayer 
similar in its petitions to the first one. 

Then with the same formula he signs the interior of 
the bell with four crosses, equidistant from each other, 
with the holy chrism. He now recites another prayer 
similar to the first in its petitions. The 76th psalm with 
an antiphon is then recited, which is followed by a prayer 
addressed to the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, 
calling, as the others did, for spiritual and temporal 
blessings, and protection. Particular stress is laid in all 
these prayers on the power of the sound of the bell to 
expel evil spirits and calm disturbances of the elements. 

The deacon then reads or chants a gospel taken from 
St. Luke (x. 38-43), which narrates the entering of Our 
Saviour into the house of Martha and Mary, where Martha 
remonstrated because her sister did not help her in pre- 
paring the meal ; but Our Lord declared that Mary had 
chosen the better part. The bishop then makes the sign 
of the cross over the bell in silence, and the ceremony is 
concluded. 

It is needless to speak of the various uses of the church 
bell. One of the most important has been referred to in 
the essay on the Angelus; the others are well known to 
all Christians. 

Many beautiful inscriptions, expressive of the piety 
and generosity of the faithful or the donors, are_to be 
found on church bells, and some expressive of their 
vanity, or of the quaint groove in which their minds 
chanced at the time to run. 

It is not a matter of surprise that church bells should 
be consecrated with so solemn a ceremony, considering 
the important uses to which they are devoted. They 
are, we may say, the voice of God calling His children 
to the foot of His altar to receive His blessing ; to rejoice 



Church Bells, 299 

with the joyful, to mourn with the sorrowful, to illustrate 
by their union the oneness of the Church herself here, 
and the assembly of the blest before the throne in heaven. 
Or, again, it is the same consecrated voice reminding us 
thrice in the day of the great mystery of the Incarnation ; 
the humiliation of the Son of God ; the dignity of the 
Mother of God. The experience of the devout' child of 
God bears witness to the efficacy of the blessing pro- 
nounced on the church bell at the time of its consecration ; 
for it speaks to him whether from far or near a language 
that only faith can understand. 



300 The Blessing ^''In Articulo Mortis,'''' 



XXVIL— THE LAST BLESSING, OR THE BLESSING 
^'m ARTICULO MORTIS." 

*^The Church, anxious about the spiritual welfare of 
her children at every period of their lives, becomes more 
and more solicitous about them as death approaches, 
knowing that their salvation depends upon their dying 
in the state of grace. Hence she is ready to administer 
to them over and over again the holy sacrament of 
Penance, instituted by her divine Founder as the sover- 
eign remedy for sin." ^ But besides the eternal punish- 
ment due to mortal sin there is also a temporal punish- 
ment, which must be either cancelled in this world by 
works of penance or indulgences, or atoned for in the 
next world in the purifying flames of purgatory. The 
love of the Church for her children is not wanting here. 
Aware that it is better to satisfy the divine justice in this 
world than in the next, she has provided a remedy by 
which it may be done not only in life, but what is more 
important and more deserving of our gratitude, at the 
moment of death. Besides the sacraments of Penance, 
Extreme Unction, and the Holy Eucharist, to the last of 
which, as all Christians know, a special privilege is 
granted by which it can be received by those who are not 
fasting— there is yet another favor which the Church in 
her maternal solicitude grants at that time, and with 
which it is to be feared many Catholics are not suffi- 
ciently familiar. For that reason it will be made the 
subject of the present essay. 

The devout Christian, who knows not the day nor the 
1 O'Kane, "Notes on the Rubrics of the Roman Ritual," No. 970. 



The Blessing '^In ArticiUo Mortis.''^ 301 

hour when God shall call him to account, and who has 
been assured by the words of Eternal Truth that death 
:shall come as a thief in the night, and that a man shall 
not know the time of his coming, cannot afford to be in- 
different to any assistance that is within his reach at 
that decisive moment. What a boon for him, then, that 
the Church has provided him with a blessing to which a 
IDlenary indulgence is attached, which, when gained in 
its full extent, is capable of remitting, and actually does 
remit, all the temporal punishment due to him, and thus 
frees him from tlie painful obligation of languishing in 
the fires of purgatory for perhaps a long period of years. 
It is the blessing in articulo mortis^ — at the moment of 
death,— better known as "the last blessing." Maurel, 
having treated of other indulgences that may be gained 
at the hour of death, and of which something will be 
said further on, continues : '' Besides these indulgences 
for the hour of death, there is another much more 
■solemn, and of great antiquity in the Church, which 
through a special grant of the Roman Pontiffs bishops 
impart personally, or by delegated priests, to the sick in 
their agony. At first they acquired the privilege merely 
for a limited period, but by his Constitution Pia Mater ^ 
of April 5, 1747, Benedict XIV. extended it to the entire 
term of their episcopate, or as long as they held their 
sees, together with the power of sub-delegating their 
priests, secular and regular, to apply the indulgence to 
the dying." ^ 

Regarding the origin of this indulgence, O'Kane re- 
marks (No. 958) : " From the earliest ages of the Church 
bishops were invited from time to time to give their 
blessing to the dying, and when given by the popes, or 
those specially delegated by them, it was, no doubt, very 

1 Maurel, p. 298. 



302 The Blessing ''In Artlculo Mortis.''^ 

often accompanied by a plenary indulgence. We have^ 
most probably, an instance of this in the indulgence 
granted to St. Clare by Innocent IV., as we read in her 
Life given in the Roman Breviary. At all events it is 
certain that the popes have power to grant such indul- 
gences, and that this power has been frequently used in 
the Church." It is to be given after the sick person has 
received the last sacraments, or such of them as the 
nature of his ailment or the condition of his mental 
faculties permits him to receive. It may be given not 
only to those who ask for it in express terms, or to those 
who, although they do not ask for it, either through 
negligence or forgetfulness, yet show signs of sorrow for 
their sins; but '*this indulgence should be communi- 
cated even to the dying who have lost the use of their 
senses; for we may always presume, at least in ordinary 
cases, that it would be their desire to receive this bless- 
ing had they the use of their reason. It may also be ap- 
plied to children who, by reason of their age, have not 
made their First Communion." ^ This is to be under- 
stood, of course, of children who have come to the use 
of reason ; for those who have not attained the years of 
discretion, and persons who have never had the use of 
reason, being incapable of sin, have no need of it. Nor 
can it be imparted to excommunicated persons, nor to 
such as, to all appearances, are dying impenitent. ** It 
may be doubted, however, whether the benediction is 
restricted, like Extreme Unction, to such as are in 
danger of death from bodily sickness, whether it may 
not be given to one who is in danger of death from any 
other cause, e.g., to a convict about to be executed. The 
words of the bull Pia Mater, as well as the rubrics, un- 
doubtedly seem to suppose that the person receiving the 

* Maurel, pp. 298, 299. 



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The Last Blessing. 



See page 300. 



The Blessing ^^Iii Articulo Mortis.'''' 303 

benediction is sick, infirm, etc. Now, it may be that this 
is supposed or required as a condition ; or it may be 
that the words are used, not to express a condition, but 
simply to describe the case that usually occurs. It is 
quite uncertain, and depends altogether on the inten- 
tion of the Pontiff. But in the absence of authority 
against it, the benediction may be given at least condi- 
tionally." ^ 

With regard to the circumstances under which the 
blessing may be repeated, the same author remarks (No. 
962) : ''It is certain that the benediction may be re- 
peated in the circumstances in which Extreme Unction 
may be repeated, that is, when the sick person, having 
partially recovered, relapses, and is again in danger of 
death. But in case of protracted illness, where the 
danger still continues, it cannot be repeated. Both 
points have been expressly decided by the Sacred Con- 
gregation of Indulgences. It has been long before de- 
cided by the same Congregation that a plenary indulgence 
in articulo mortis given simply and without any other 
declaration, should be understood strictly as gained only 
when death actually occurs." It would seem, however, 
that a more recent decree permits the repetition of the 
last blessing. Says Maurel (p. 299) : ** In the same dan- 
ger, or in the same articulo mortis^ said the ancient 
decrees, it is not permitted to recite many times the 
benediction for a dying person, with an application of 
the plenary indulgence. But Pius IX. has given leave 
to repeat the form of the indulgence over the same in- 
valid and in the same danger. He furthermore allows 
priests vested with the power to impart several times — 
pluries — to a dying person the different indulgences in 
articulo mortis^ to which he may have a right under 
1 O'Kane, No. 960. 



304 The Blessing ''•In Articulo Mortis.''^ 

Yarious titles. Notwithstanding this, the indulgence 
cannot be gained more than once, and is not truly ap- 
plied to a sick person, except when death actually 
ensues. Thus the articulo mortis is that moment which 
is actually followed by death, the intention of the 
Supreme Pontiff in granting the indulgence being, ac- 
cording to Theodore a Spiritu Sancto, 'that the faithful 
might have nothing to expiate after this mortal pilgrim- 
age.' " The conditions for gaining this indulgence are : 
first, at least an habitual intention of gaining it ; sec- 
ondly, the eliciting of an act of contrition and of love^ 
if the sick person is able to do so ; thirdly, the invoca- 
tion, at least mentally, of the name of Jesus ; and 
fourthly, the sick person is admonished to bear with 
resignation the inconveniences and sufferings incident to 
his sickness, in expiation of the sins of his past life, and 
to be ready to accept from the hand of God whatsoever 
it shall please Him to ordain, even death, which he has 
deserved by his sins.^ 

A necessary condition for receiving the last blessing 
is that the sick person be in the state of sanctifying 
grace, for no one can gain a plenary indulgence in the 
state of sin. 

" The most important condition for gaining a plenary 
indulgence is to have a true hatred of all sins, even 
venial, and to be wholly free from any attachment to 
them. This condition is absolutely necessary ; for, as 
St. Alphonsus teaches, * it is certain that, so long as the 
guilt of venial sin is not remitted, the punishment due 
to it cannot be remitted.' So that while the soul bears 
the guilt of a single little venial sin, or even any attach- 
ment to such sin, it is clear that it cannot obtain the 
total remission of its punishment, or, in other words, a 

* Wapelhorst, p. 462, No. 3. 



The Blessing ''''In Articulo Mortis.'' ■ 305 

plenary indulgence ; for a plenary indulgence is nothing 
more nor less than the complete remission of the tem- 
poral punishment due to sin, of which the guilt has been 
already remitted." ^ 

On this point O'Kane remarks (No. 963): *' If the per- 
son, however, be not in the state of grace when the bene- 
diction is given, it is of no avail, and should be repeated 
when he recovers the state of grace. But should he, 
after having received it in the state of grace, again fall 
into mortal sin, he would receive the fruit of the indul- 
gence at the moment of death, provided he had in the 
meantime recovered the state of grace ; and therefore 
in this case the benediction should not be repeated." 
Recent legislation on the subject of the last blessing has 
somewhat modified the conditions, and for that reason 
the above is not now strictly correct. The blessing can- 
not be repeated in the same sickness, although the sick- 
ness continues for a long time, nor can it be imparted 
by several priests, nor is it to be repeated if the sick 
person was in the state of mortal sin when he received 
it, nor in case he relapses into mortal sin after it is 
given.2 It should be given while the sick person has the 
use of his mental faculties, and not be deferred till the 
last moment. The faculties now granted to priests in 
general include that of conferring this blessing, and 
hence sick persons are seldom deprived of the opportu 
nity of gaining this indulgence so profitable and necessary 
for them. 

"With regard to certain other indulgences that may be 
gained at the hour of death, O'Kane remarks (Nos. 978, 
979) : *' It may be observed that this is not the only 
plenary indulgence that can be obtained at the hour of 

^ Raccolta, p. xxiv. 

2 Wapelhorst, p. 463, No. 6. 



306 The Blessing ^^In Articulo Mortis, ^^ 

death. A great many have been granted for this hour to 
the faithful who are members of certain pious confraterni- 
ties, who practise certain devotions, or who have rosaries, 
crosses, medals, etc., to which indulgences are attached, 
provided they comply with the requisite conditions. The 
titles on which these indulgences are granted are alto- 
gether distinct, and the conditions are not incompatible. 
It has been decided by the Sacred Congregation of Indul- 
gences that, when Communion is required as a condition 
of the indulgence the same Communion may suffice for 
several plenary indulgences. The conditions required for 
those in articulo mortis are very easy. They are for the 
most part those acts which should in any event be fre- 
quently elicited by Christians in danger of death: acts of 
contrition, acts of the love of God, and of perfect resigna- 
tion to His holy will, and the invocation of the holy name, 
with the heart if not with the lips. To gain the indul- 
gences attached to the rosaries, crosses, medals, etc., it is 
enough to take the blessed object in the hand, or to have 
it about or near the person, while making the acts pre- 
scribed, which are usually those just mentioned. The 
ministry of a priest is not necessary, though it is, of course, 
very useful in assisting the sick person to make the acts 
required. It is probable that even by virtue of a single 
concession the indulgences may be gained as often as the 
prescribed acts are repeated, but there is no reason to 
doubt that several may be gained when the titles are dis- 
tinct. With respect to the intention, it is sufficient that 
one have that of gaining all the indulgences he can by the 
acts he performs. It is not necessary to think of them in 
particular, nor even to know that they are attached to 
the acts. It is even probable that an intention of gaining 
the indulgence is not required at all, provided the work 
to which it is attached be done. St. Liguori seems to 



The Blessing ^^ In Artlculo Mortis.''^ 307 

think that at all events it is enough to have an inter- 
pretative intention." * 

Whatever may be said of the necessity, no one can fail 
to see the advantage of an intention made at the time 
the indulgence is to be gained, nor the extent to which 
it will contribute in disposing the sick person to receive 
it with the most abundant fruit. For this reason it is 
advisable for Christians to accustom themselves to make 
sometimes during life, and more especially when sick, 
although the sickness may not endanger life, an inten- 
tion of gaining the indulgences of the last blessing, as 
well as all the other indulgences to which they may be 
entitled at that hour ; and they should frequently pray 
God to grant them that inestimable favor. Nor should 
they neglect in time of sickness to beg of those who have 
care of them to see that this blessing is imparted to them 
at the proper time. Any request coming from them- 
selves shows their good disposition ; and, besides, friends 
sometimes lose sight of the needs of the soul in their 
zeal to provide for those of the body. But it is a sacred 
duty of those who assist at the bedside of the sick to see 
that they are not deprived of so powerful a means of 
grace ; and in addition to calling in the priest they 
should endeavor to dispose the sick person in advance 
for the visit of the minister of God. A fatal delusion 
sometimes seizes the sick person, and those also w^ho 
have care of him, by which they imagine that he who 
receives the last sacraments and sacred rites of religion 
must necessarily die — that these are a kind of death 
warrant. No good, but many evils are the result of this 
delusion. It prevents the sick person from trying 
earnestly to excite those dispositions so necessary, or at 
least so expedient, for receiving the last blessings of the 

1 See also Wapelhorst, p. 462, No. 3. 



308 The Blessing '''In Articulo Mortis,'''' 

Church ; it imposes on the priest the obligation of dis- 
posing him at the very moment he is to receive these 
sacred ministrations ; and even then his friends may, 
unconsciously, place obstacles in his way by continuing 
to deceive the sick person with delusive hopes. We 
should not, indeed, fill anyone with despair of recovery ; 
neither should we, on the other hand, conceal from the 
sick person the danger in which he is, at least in so far 
as the consciousness of this danger will aid him in dis- 
posing himself for a profitable reception of those graces 
that are to be his ultimate preparation for a judgment 
upon which an eternity of happiness or misery depends. 
What kind of love is that which permits, or runs the 
risk of permitting, the sick person to lose the use of his 
mental faculties before he is alive to his danger ? It is 
>a folly that may and often has cast souls for long years 
into purgatory, and has endangered the eternal salva- 
tion of not a few who were unhappily in the state of 
mortal sin ; for, had they been conscious of the near 
approach of death, they would have endeavored to elicit 
an act of perfect contrition if they had not an opportu- 
nity of going to confession. That love which prefers the 
life of the perishable body to that of the immortal soul 
cannot be called Christian ; and, besides, the peace and 
tranquillity of mind which usually follow perfect rec- 
onciliation with God are often very conducive to the 
restoration of bodily health. A secondary end of Ex- 
treme Unction is the restoration of health, whenever 
such is the will of God ; and it not un frequently happens 
that recovery dates from the reception of the last sac- 
raments. 

One of the plenary indulgences most easily gained is 
that which is imparted to the prayer to our holy guardian 
angel. It is granted, says the decree, '* at the hour of 



The Blessing ''In Artimlo Mortis:' 309 

death to all those who, during life, shall have frequently 
said this prayer, provided they shall have the required 
dispositions." ^ With regard to these indulgences O'Kane 
says (No. 9^0) : '' It is true that if he had the happiness 
of gaining one plenary indulgence he could not gain a 
second for himself at the same time, for even one in- 
cludes a complete remission of all the punishment due 
to his sins ; but it is hard to reckon in any instance on 
the presence of all those conditions, and especially of 
those perfect dispositions which are necessary to gain a 
plenary indulgence in its full extent. But although it 
be not gained in its whole extent, it may be gained par- 
tially; and if many be gained in this way, the effect of 
all united may come very near, and when there is a 
renunciation of all venial sins, may be equal to, the full 
effect of a plenary indulgence.'' 

Too much importance cannot be attached to the 
inestimable grace conferred by this blessing. We 
should be grateful at all times for the favors of Heaven, 
and anxious to profit by them ; but for this one, which 
is bestowed upon us in the hour of our greatest need, 
we should be especially thankful. Another circum- 
stance, also, shows the wisdom and love of the Church 
for her children ; for, while other indulgences may be 
gained, and the graces of them afterward forfeited by 
sin, this one is reserved for the moment of death, when 
there is no fear of it being lost. Thrice happy the soul 
that merits so great a blessing and receives it in its 
plenitude, for it will be immediately admitted into the 
joy of its Lord. *' Oh, let us, then, strive at this last 
moment, before entering on our road to eternity, to gain 
as many indulgences as possible ! for how do we know 
what debts we have to pay to the divine justice, or 

» RaccoUa, p. 308. 



310 The Blessing ''In Artimlo Mortis:' 

whether these plenary indulgences have been applied to 
us in their full extent, or in what proportion they are 
applied? It is also of the utmost importance to us to 
qualify ourselves in life for such an abundant applica- 
tion of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin, 
and the saints at the hour of our death. The most 
effectual means for attaining this end is carefully to 
keep ourselves in the friendship of God, especially by a 
frequent worthy reception of the sacraments, as also by 
being devout to the Blessed Virgin, and to St. Joseph, 
the patron of a happy death." ^ 

* Maurel, pp. 299, 300. 



The Burial Se/*vice. 311 



XXYIIL— THE BURIAL SERVICE. 

It is much to be regretted that a large number of 
Catholics do not better understand the many claims 
which the Church has on her children of being called 
their mother. And it is equally to be regretted that 
these same children are the principal sufferers. Let us, 
then, pause for a few moments and reflect on this point, 
especially in its bearing on the funeral ceremonies 
among Christians. 

Love of the departed is deeply seated in man's nature; 
and there is no people, whether barbarous or civilized, 
whether enlightened by the true faith or groping in the 
darkness of error, but honors its dead. The imperish- 
able pyramids of Egypt are sepulchral monuments, and 
the dead of the same nation are found as mummies 
after a period of more than three thousand years. So, 
too, sepulchral monuments are met with throughout the 
entire East, dating back to a time long anterior to the 
beginning of the Christian era. The cities of the dead 
in ancient Greece are pointed out even in our day, 
where the dust of heroes has returned to its parent dust 
for more than twenty centuries ; while the cromlechs of 
Ireland and other countries of western Europe, once 
inhabited by the Celts, stood for ages before the glad 
tidings of the Gospel awakened those peoples to a new 
life. But it was left to the Christian Church to pay a 
fitting homage to the departed, and this with regard to 
both the soul and the body : to the soul, because faith 
teaches that it is immortal, and can be assisted in its 
spiritual necessities by those whom it leaves behind ; to 



312 The Burial Service, 

the body, because the same faith teaches that it was 
once the temple of the Holy Ghost, and is destined here- 
after to be reunited to the soul after the General Judg- 
ment, to share its eternal destiny. 

We appreciate everything according to our estimation 
of its value. What more noble than man I When God 
formed the various orders of the visible creation, what- 
ever their excellence, He simply said, as we read in the 
Sacred Scriptures, ** Let them be made, and they were 
made ; " but when He was about to form the master- 
piece of His infinite wisdom, power, and love, He could [ 
find no model worthy of the noble work He proposed,' 
and He said : "■ Let us make man to our image and like- 
ness." ^ And He endowed him with an immortality like' 
His own in this, that he cannot die ; but unlike His in 
this, that man's immortality is dependent, while God's 
is absolute. This is true, as has just been said, not 
only of the soul, but also of the body. And both the 
mercy and justice of God shine forth admirably in this ; 
for, as the body was the instrument by which the soul 
was greatly assisted in the service of God, it is but just 
that it should share in the soul's reward. Without the 
body the soul could not, according to the designs of 
God, have attained to its happiness ; the body then 
should share with the soul in that happiness. Such is 
the divine decree. How noble is the human body ! 
Even a pagan poet was struck with admiration in con-; 
templating it.^ So also holy Job declares : '^ I know 
that my Redeemer liveth, and in the last day I shall rise 
out of the earth, and I shall be clothed again with my 

' Genesis, i. 26. 
2 Pronaque cum spectent animalia caetera terrain; 
Os homini sublime dedit : coelumque tueri 
Jussit, et erectos ad sidera tollere vultus. 

Ovid, Metamorphoseon. 



The Burial Service, 313 

skin, and in my flesh I shall see my God, whom I my- 
self shall see, and my eyes shall behold, and not anoth- 
er." ^ The words of St. Paul are also well calculated to 
impress upon Christians the sanctity of their bodies.'^ 
He writes : ' ' Know you not that you are the temple of 
Ood, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? But 
if any man violate the temple of God, him shall God 
destroy : for the temple of God is holy, which you are." 
Again : *' Know you not that your bodies are the mem- 
bers of Christ ? Shall I take the members of Christ and 
make them the members of a harlot ? God forbid. . . . 
Or know you not that your members are the temple of 
the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from 
God, and you are not your own. For you are bought 
with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body." 
In no ceremony of the Church does the respect which 
she pays to the bodies of her children shine forth so ad- 
mirably as in her funeral obsequies. Mindful of the 
dignity of the human body, she has the infant brought 
to the church at as early a day as possible after its 
birth, that it may be born again of water and of the 
Holy Ghost ; its breast is then anointed with the holy 
oil, as we have seen in the essay on the Holy Oils, that it 
may ever bear the thought of God in its heart ; on the 
back it is anointed between the shoulders, that it may 
learn to bear the sweet yoke of Christ ; and the top of 
its head is anointed, after the infusion of water has 
blotted out original sin, that it may be entirely con- 
secrated to God. No sooner does it begin to live than 
it begins to live for God, verifying the words of St. 
Paul, that Christ died for all, that those who live may 
live only for Him. Again, in confirmation, when the 
child has grown to youth, and is called upon to battle 

* Job, xix. 25-27. 2 i, Corinthians, iii. 16, 17; vi. 15, 19, 20. 



314 The Burial Service, 

more fiercely with the enemies of its salvation, it is once 
more consecrated, by having the sign of the cross 
marked on its forehead with the holy oil, that it may 
bear fearlessly before the world the standard under 
which it has vowed to do battle. And, finally, when 
the time comes for it to bid adieu to its earthly habita- 
tion, its senses are signed with the holy oil to remove 
the remains of sin which they may have been instru- 
mental in committing. The body is also nourished with 
the Most Holy Sacrament, so that Almighty God, not 
satisfied with forming it in a more noble mould than 
that of any other creature, visits it frequently during life 
to consecrate it more fully to Himself. Would that this 
truth were more frequently remembered ; then fewer 
would sin against their bodies as well as against their 
souls. Conscious of this innate dignity, the Church 
does well in honoring the body even after the soul has 
departed. It is brought into the church in solemn pro- 
cession, the adorable sacrifice of the Mass is offered in 
its presence, th§ fumes of incense ascend around it, and 
the saving dews of holy water are shed upon it before it 
is carried to its last resting-place. The ground also in 
which it is to return to dust is sanctified by the solemn 
prayers of the Church. 

The Church looks upon death as the punishment of 
sin ; * and, remembering that nothing defiled can enter 
heaven, she treats her deceased members as persons 
upon whose souls at least slight stains of sin may have ] 
been found by the all-searching eye of God at the hour j 
of death ; or who may not have fully satisfied the debt 
of temporal punishment due for forgiven offences. For \ 
this reason her funeral services are supplicatory. She i 
does not canonize the dead, as it were, on the spot, or 
* Genesis, ii. 17 ; Romans, vi. 23. 



The Burial Service. 315 

perform a pagan apotheosis upon them, regardless of the 
sort of lives they may have led, as is too often done out- 
side the Church. On the contrary, she banishes, or 
desires to banish — for there are unfortunately found 
Catholics who would fain cling to irreligious and pagan 
customs— all signs of paganism from their obsequies, 
and she covers their remains in the burial casket only 
with a plain, black pall. Xo Christian who is possessed 
of a lively faith can absolutely rejoice in the death of 
anyone who has attained the use of reason, as if he 
were already in the fruition of the beatific vision, no 
matter what may have been the purity of his life. No 
one knows with absolute certainty whether he is deserv- 
ing of love or hatred ; and St. Paul, who declared that 
he was not conscious of any fault, did not, for all that, 
regard himself as justified.^ Oar hope must always be 
seasoned with a salutary fear. 

The Church has a separate ceremony, however, for 
the interment of those little innocents who die before 
they have come to the use of reason. In their case the 
ritual recommends that, besides the white vestments 
with which the priest is clothed, a crown of flowers or of 
odoriferous herbs be placed on the coffin, as a symbol of 
the purity of both the body and the soul of the deceased. 
And with the chant of psalms of joy, and the recitation 
of prayers suggestive of the virginal purity of the de- 
parted and radiant with Christian hope, the tender re- 
mains are consigned to their final resting-place. 

Since, then, in the good pleasure of God we are all 
destined to return to dust before we can rise to immor- 
tality, it will be both instructive and encouraging for us 
to pass briefly in review the services which are to usher 
us into the unseen world. 

^ Eccles. ix. 1 ; I. Cor. iv. 4. 



316 The Burial Service. 

Let us suppose a person dead, and about to be carrie(I< 
to the church for the funeral obsequies. The entire cere 
monial, it is true, is not, as a rule, carried out among 
us, owing to the fact that we are not living in a Catholic 
country, and must be influenced by circumstances in 
this as in many other things not essential. The remains 
are not usually accompanied from the house where 
death took place, but are met at the door of the church 
by the priest. Sometimes, too, they are not met at the 
door, but are carried to the foot of the altar, where the 
priest performs the part of the ceremony appropriate 
to that place. Nor is it a uniform custom to attend the 
funeral to the cemetery ; for, as was remarked in the 
essay on the Asperges^ the circumstances in which most 
of the early missionaries were placed rendered it diffi- 
cult, and often impossible, to carry out the entire cere- 
monial of the Church in many of her sacred functions. 
But without further preface or apology, we shall take 
up the funeral ceremony as it is found in the ritual, 
and make such comments on it as will be thought inter-t 
esting and instructive. 1 

The priest, vested in surplice and black stole — and ii» 
a black cope, if the church has one — at the house where 
the remains are, begins the solemn ceremony by sprink- 
ling the body with holy water ; he then recites an anti- 
phon and the psalm De prof undis {the 129th), at the. 
conclusion of which and of the Requiem ceternain,—^ 
which always in funeral ceremonies takes the place 05 
the Glory be to the .Father^ etc., recited after each psalm^ 
on other occasions, — he repeats the antiphon. The re- 
mains are then taken up by the pall-bearers, and the 
procession moves tow^ard the church. The priest, hav- 
ing recited an antiphon, begins the psalm Miserere 
(the 50th), and, if the distance is considerable, at the 



The Burial Service. 317 

conclusion of it he continues with what are called the 
Gradual Psalms^ which are fifteen in number, and be- 
gin with the 127th. If there are other priests present 
they recite the psalms in alternate verses with the offi- 
ciating clergyman. On arriving at the door of the 
church the antiphon is repeated, and the chanters — if 
there are any — and the officiating priest sing certain 
versicles and responses ; but in most churches the choir 
has to take the place of the chanters properly so called » 
The Mass is then celebrated, unless the Office of the 
Dead is first to be recited. 

At the conclusion of the Mass the celebrant lays aside- 
the chasuble and maniple, and putting on the black 
cope, proceeds to the foot of the altar, and turns to the 
remains. While the choir is chanting the Libera — which 
is a most pathetic appeal of the soul, trembling with fear 
before the judgment-seat for mercy at that awful hour — 
he reads a prayer beseeching God to deal mercifully with 
His departed servant, and extend His grace to him who 
during life was signed with the seal of the Most Holy 
Trinity. He also recites the Libera. The celebrant then 
puts incense into the censer ; the chanters (or the cele- 
brant, where there are no chanters) sing the Kyrie eleison^ 
the choir answering Christe eleison. The priest then re- 
peats a second Kyrie^ and intones the Pater JS'oster, 
which he continues in silence while he passes twice 
around the coffin, first sprinkling it with holy water, and 
then incensing it, two acolytes with candles and one be- 
tween them with the processional cross standing at the 
head of the body the while. Then follow a number of 
versicles and responses appropriate to the ceremony, and 
the prayer : '' O God, whose property is always to have- 
mercy and to spare, we humbly beseech Thee for the 
soul of Thy servant iV^., which Thou hast this day com- 



318 The Burial Service. 

manded to depart from this world, that Thou wouldst 
not deliver it into the hands of the enemy, nor forget it 
unto the end ; but command it to be received by Thy 
holy angels, and conducted into its true country ; that 
as in Thee it has hoped and believed, it may not suffer 
the pains of hell, but may take possession of eternal 
joys. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen." The body is^ 
then borne to the cemetery, the priest in the meantima: 
singing or reading the antiphon : '' May the angels lead 
thee into Paradise ; at thy coming may the martyrs re- 
ceive thee, and bring thee into the holy city Jerusalem, 
May the choir of angels receive thee, and with Lazarus,- 
once a beggar, may est thou have eternal rest." Here^ 
there is a prayer for the blessing of the grave, if the 
cemetery is not consecrated. But whether the body is 
immediately taken to the cemetery, or is left in the 
church fop a time, for example, that the relatives ancU 
others may take a last view of it, the canticle of holyl 
Zachary, commonly called the Benedictus, * is sung or 
read, with the antiphon : *' I am the resurrection and the 
life ; he that believeth in Me, although he be dead, shall 
live : and everyone that liveth and believeth in Me shall 
not die forever." ' This, with the following prayer and 
the versicles before and after it, must, according to the 
ritual, never be omitted: ''Grant, O Lord, we beseech 
Thee, this mercy unto Thy servant deceased, that having 
desired to do Thy will he may not suffer in return for 
his deeds. And as by the true faith he was joined to the 
multitude of the faithful here below, so may Thy tender 
mercy give him a place above among the angelic choirs.^ 
Through Christ Our Lord. Amen." The priest retiresf»s 
from the cemetery reciting the Be profundis in a lowf' 
tone. 

^ St. Luke, i. 68-79. 2 st. John, xi. 25, 26. 



The Burial Service. 319 

How radiant with hope is not this important ceremony 
in which we all occasionally take part during life, and 
which we sincerely trust will be performed over us in 
death, as our mortal remains are borne to their last 
resting-place? It passes admirably between the two 
extremes of the feeling of total annihilation, which the 
infidel would fain have us believe he considers awaits 
him, on the one hand ; and on the other the apotheosis; 
which is so commonly and indiscriminately pronounced 
on the dead among too many of the sects. It is a sweet 
consolation to the living, and at the same time an ex- 
hortation to the practice of the noblest acts of Christian 
charity, those of offering prayers and good works for the 
repose of the souls of the faithful departed. It teaches 
the bereft that their separation is only for a time, and 
that even during this corporeal separation there still 
exists a union of souls in the communion of saints. 



320 Mary^ Patroness of the United States, 



XXIX.— THE SELECTION OF MARY CONCEI 
WITHOUT Sm AS PATRO^TESS OF THE 
UNITED STATES. 






The student of ecclesiastical history need not be told 
through what stages the pious belief of the faithful in 
and the devotion of religious Orders to the Immaculate 
Conception of the Blessed Virgin passed, from the be- 
ginning of the Christian era to the day when, amid the 
acclamations of more than two hundred millions of 
Catholics, the saintly Pius IX. defined it as an article of 
faith. Nor can the attentive reader of American history 
fail to see the finger of God manifested in the way in 
which Mary Immaculate claimed America, and America 
Mary Immaculate, from the earliest period of the 
authentic history of the New World. It is not neces- 
sary to speak of these : they are too well known to 
American Catholics, The following, however, may be 
given as an example. When Alexander O'Reilly came 
to Louisiana in 1769, as the Spanish governor of that 
province, he gave the form of oath which was to be 
taken by all the officials, containing, among other things, 

the following: "I, , appointed , swear before 

God, on the holy Cross and the Evangelists, to maintain 
and defend the mystery of the Immaculate Conception 
of our Lady the Virgin Mary." ^ It may be interesting 
to pass in review the action of the American prelates in 
authoritatively promoting devotion to the Immaculate 
Conception, until the time when they obtained their 
petition from the Holy Father, that our Blessed Lady 

VShea, " Life and Times of Archbishop Carroll," p. 548. 




The Immaculate Conception. 



See page 320. 



1 



Mary, Patroness of the TJiiited States, 321 

under the title of the Imraacnlate Conception should be 
the patroness of the United States, and later, that her 
feast should be a holyday of obligation. It is worthy 
of note that the Blessed Virgin Uiider this beautiful title 
was not chosen merely as Patroness of the Church in 
the United States, but d<& Patroness of the United States, 
Neither in the decree of the Fathers of Baltimore, as 
will be seen later on, nor in the document from Rome 
confirming their action, is the phrase " of the Church" 
found; Mary is everywhere called Patrones>s "of the 
United States." It cannot, of course, be doubted that 
the Mother of God takes a livelier interest in her devoted 
children than in others; but the mantle of her protec-- 
tion covers all who dwell in the Great Republic. 

No sooner had the illustrious John Carroll been con- 
secrated bishop of the Church in the United States — 
which event took place on the 15th of August, 1790 — ■ 
than the special devotion to Mary which had character- 
ized the Church here .received new life and vigor. It' 
was decreed in the fifth session of the first Synod, held^ 
in Baltimore in November, 1791, that the Litany of the 
Blessed Virgin, the principal patron of the vast diocese 
of Baltimore, should be sung or recited before Mass on 
Sundays and holydays. The bishop declared in another 
decree that from the beginning of his episcopate he was 
most anxious to select the holy Mother of God as the 
principal patron of the diocese, that, through her intei*- 
cession, the faith and piety of the people committed to 
him might flourish and be more and more increased. 
And he further decreed that the feast of the Assumption 
should be the principal feast of the diocese, urging upon 
both clergy and people to celebrate it with the greatest 
solemnity. * 

^ " Concilia Baltimorensia," 1829-1852, pp. 19-21. 



822 Mary^ Patroness of the United States, 

But it was not until the Sixth Provincial Council, held 
in Ma}', 1846, that devotion to the Immaculate Con- 
ception was solemnly discussed by the American prelates. 
In the third congregation, held May 13th, — an auspicious 
4ate, — the first decree of the council was promulgated in 
these memorable words, w^hich show clearly that, although 
this was the first solemn pronouncement, the devotion 
'had long been flourishing. The decree reads as follows : 
**'The Fathers, with ardent desire, and with unanimous 
.applause and consent, have chosen the Blessed Virgin 
conceived without original sin as the Patroness of the 
United States ; without, however, imposing the obligation 
of hearing Mass and resting from servile works on the 
feast itself of the Conception of the Blessed Mary ; and 
therefore the Sovereign Pontiff shall be humbly petitioned 
that the solemnization of the feast may be transferred to 
the following Sunday, — unless the feast falls on a Sun- 
day, — on which day the Masses, both private and solemn, 
of the feast shall be celebrated, and Vespers of the same 
feast shall be recited." 

. The decree w^as not, however, approved and confirmed 
by the Holy See until February 7, 1847. In his letter to 
the Archbishop of Baltimore, July 3d of that year, 
Cardinal Fransoni, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation 
for the Propagation of the Faith, announced the decision, 
and enclosed the decree, remarking that the Holy Father 
had most willingly confirmed the choice of the council. 
In the fourth private congregation of the same Coun- 
cil, held May 15th, it w^as decreed that the Holy See 
should be petitioned for the privilege of adding, through- 
out the United States, the w^ord '' Immaculate" before 
*^ Conception," in the Office of the Conception of the 
Blessed Virgin and in the prayers and Preface of the 
Mass of the same feast, and the invocation ** Queen 



Mary, Patroness of the United States, 323 

conceived without original sin, pray for us," to tlie 
Litany of Our Lady. The Pope granted these petitions 
in perpetuity, September 13, 1846/ 

A remarkable circumstance connected with the selec- 
tion of Mary conceived without sin as our patroness is 
given by the late celebrated Indian missionary Father 
De Smet, S.J., in a letter to the editor of the Precis 
HLstoriques, Brussels, dated New York, May 16, 1857, 
on the life and labors of the Rev. Theodore de Theux. 
Says Father De Smet : '' In 1844 the Bishop of Cincin- 
nati found himself frequently menaced, as well as the 
Catholics of his diocese, by tumultuous mobs, composed 
of the enemies of our holy faith. He asked counsel of 
Father de Theux. After some moments of reflection 
the father answered that he should obtain peace and 
security in those difficult times if he would have re- 
course to the Sovereign Pontiff, and would encourage 
the other bishops of the United States to follow his 
example, so as to obtain the favor of adding, in the Pref- 
ace of the Mass, to the word ' Conception ' the prefix 
* Immaculate.' The worthy bishop received the advice 
with respect, and the request was soon after made at 
Rome and crowned with success."^ The acts of the 
Council do not state by whom the question was intro- 
duced ; but this being the first provincial council after 
the Bishop of Cincinnati had spoken of it to Father de 
Theux, it may safely be presumed that it was brought 
up at the instance of the ordinary of that see. 

While the Holy Father was still in exile at Gaeta, be 
commenced the preliminaries for the definition of the 
dogma of the Immaculate Conception. He established 
a special Congregation to take the matter into considera- 

1 " Concilia Baltiraorensia," pp. 240-257. 

2 " W^estern Missions and Missionaries," p. 480. 



324 Mary, Patroness of the United States. 

tion, and addressed a circular letter to all the bishops of 
the Christian world asking them to lend their aid and 
co-operation, to ascertain the devotion of their clergy 
and people to this mystery, etc. In reply, the Fathers 
of the Seventh Provincial Council of Baltimore, which 
was held in May, 1849, declared, in their 'first decree, 
that the clergy and faithful of the United States were 
animated with a most ardent devotion to the Immacu- 
late Conception ; and, in the second decree, expressed, 
with but one dissenting voice, the joy they would feel at 
its definition as an article of faith, if the Holy Father 
should deem such definition opportune/ 

The Church in this country having been divided, ia 
1850, into several ecclesiastical provinces, matters relat- 
ing to discipline among Catholics in general were, thence- 
forth, to be discussed in Plenary Councils, or assemblies 
of all the prelates. The first of these was held in May, 
1852, when it was decided that a Plenary Council should 
be held every ten years. No action remained to be 
taken by the Fathers of the First Plenary Council, from 
the fact that the Blessed Virgin had already been chosen 
the Patroness of our country, and the prelates had 
already expressed their opinion regarding the definition 
as an article of faith ; all that was left was to await the 
actual definition by the Vicar of Christ. But with the 
decree of the Congregation for the Propagation of the 
Faith approving the decrees of the Council, the mem- 
bers of that body expressed a wish that the bishops of 
the Church here would labor to have the feast of the 
Immaculate Conception added to the other days of obli- 
gation in the United States.'* 

The civil war, which was unhappily waging in 1862, 

» " Concilia Baltimorensia," pp. 2T4-278. 

2 " Concilium Plenarium," etc., vol. i. p. 56, nota. 



Mary^ Patroness of the United States. 325 

prevented the assembling of the Second Plenary Council 
at the proper time, and it was not until October, 1866, 
that it was deemed expedient for the Fathers to meet. 
In the tenth private congregation of this Council, which 
w^as held on October 19th, the question of raising the 
feast of the Immaculate Conception to the dignity of a 
holyday of obligation throughout the Union was dis- 
•cussed by the prelates, and decreed, five only voting in 
the negative. The Congregation for the Propagation of 
the Faith, whose province it is to examine and pass upon 
the decrees of Councils held in missionary countries like 
ours, examined the question in their general assemblies 
on the 17th, 23d, and 27th days of September, 1867, and 
issued their decree. Finally, the decree was approved 
January 24, 1868, by His Holiness, Pius IX., who had 
labored so strenuously and so successfully during his 
long pontificate in promoting the honor of the Immacu- 
late Mother of God. The Catholics of our day should 
deem it a special privilege to have been permitted to 
live at a time when their Mother in heaven received so 
precious a jewel in her glorious crown. 



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